Cancer Overview
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Graph generated 31 August 2019 using data from PubMed using criteria.Literature Analysis
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Tag cloud generated 31 August, 2019 using data from PubMed, MeSH and CancerIndex
Specific Cancers (7)
Data table showing topics related to specific cancers and associated disorders. Scope includes mutations and abnormal protein expression.
Note: list is not exhaustive. Number of papers are based on searches of PubMed (click on topic title for arbitrary criteria used).
Useful Links
IGFBP3
OMIM, Johns Hopkin University
Referenced article focusing on the relationship between phenotype and genotype.
IGFBP3
International Cancer Genome Consortium.
Summary of gene and mutations by cancer type from ICGC
IGFBP3
Cancer Genome Anatomy Project, NCI
Gene Summary
IGFBP3
COSMIC, Sanger Institute
Somatic mutation information and related details
IGFBP3
GEO Profiles, NCBI
Search the gene expression profiles from curated DataSets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository.
Latest Publications: IGFBP3 (cancer-related)
Jia H, Xu M, Bo Y, et al.
Ras-ERK1/2 signaling accelerates the progression of colorectal cancer via mediation of H2BK5ac.Life Sci. 2019; 230:89-96 [
PubMed]
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AIMS: Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) is a key downstream gene of Ras pathway. Activation of Ras-ERK1/2 has been testified to be linked to the progression of diverse cancers. Nonetheless, whether Ras-ERK1/2-tumorigenic pathway is mediated by epigenetic factors remains indistinct. The purpose of the research attempted to disclose the functions of H2BK5ac in Ras-ERK1/2-evoked CRC cell phenotypes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Western blot assay was implemented for exploration of the relevancy between Ras-ERK1/2 and H2BK5ac. H2BK5Q was established and its functions in cell viability, colony formation and migration were appraised via utilizing MTT, soft-agar colony formation and Transwell assays. The mRNA and transcription of ERK1/2 downstream genes were estimated via RT-qPCR and ChIP assays. HDAC2 functions in SW48 cell phenotypes were evaluated after co-transfection with pEGFP-Ras
KEY FINDINGS: H2BK5ac expression was evidently repressed by Ras-ERK1/2 pathway in SW48 cells. Moreover, Ras-ERK1/2-elevated cell viability, the number of colonies and migration were both impeded by H2BK5ac. The mRNA and transcriptions of CYR61, IGFBP3, WNT16B, NT5E, GDF15 and CARD16 were both mediated by H2BK5ac. Additionally, HDAC2 silence overtly recovered H2BK5ac expression inhibited by Ras-ERK1/2, meanwhile abated Ras-ERK1/2-affected SW48 cell phenotypes. Beyond that, restrained H2BK5ac induced by Ras-ERK1/2 was concerned with MDM2-mediated ATF2 degradation.
SIGNIFICANCE: These investigations testified that Ras-ERK1/2 pathway affected SW48 cell phenotypes through repressing H2BK5ac expression. Otherwise, declined H2BK5ac might be linked to MDM2-mediated ATF2 degradation.
Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are a family of proteins binding to insulin-like growth factors, generally consisting 6 high-affinity IGFBPs, namely IGFBP1 through IGFBP6. IGFBP family members have been indicated to be involved in the development and progression of tumors and may be useful prognostic biomarkers in various malignancies. However, the prognostic role of individual IGFBPs, especially at the mRNA level in breast cancer patients remains elusive.We accessed the prognostic roles of IGFBPs family (IGFBP1-6) in breast cancer through the "Kaplan-Meier plotter" online database and OncoLnc database.Our results showed that the high expression of IGFBP1 mRNA was associated with favorable relapsed free survival (RFS) in all breast cancer patients. The high expression of IGFBP2 mRNA was associated with favorable overall survival (OS) and RFS in all breast cancer patients. The high expression of IGFBP3 mRNA was significantly correlated to worsen RFS in all breast cancer patients. The high expression of IGFBP4 mRNA was associated with favorable OS, RFS, distant metastasis-free survival, and post-progression survival in all breast cancer patients.Our results indicated that expression of IGFBPs mRNA may have prognostic values in breast cancer patients, and have a benefit for developing tools to predict the prognosis more accurately.
Tu W, Yang B, Leng X, et al.
Testis-specific protein, Y-linked 1 activates PI3K/AKT and RAS signaling pathways through suppressing IGFBP3 expression during tumor progression.Cancer Sci. 2019; 110(5):1573-1586 [
PubMed]
Free Access to Full Article Related Publications
The testis-specific protein, Y-linked 1 (TSPY1), a newly recognized cancer/testis antigen, has been suggested to accelerate tumor progression. However, the mechanisms underlying TSPY1 cancer-related function remain limited. By mining the RNA sequencing data of lung and liver tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we found frequent ectopic expression of TSPY1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and the male-specific protein was associated with higher mortality rate and worse overall survival in patients with LUAD and LIHC. Overexpression of TSPY1 promotes cell proliferation, invasiveness, and cycle transition and inhibits apoptosis, whereas TSPY1 knockdown has the opposite effects on these cancer cell phenotypes. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the involvement of TSPY1 in PI3K/AKT and RAS signaling pathways in both LUAD and LIHC cells, which was further confirmed by the increase in the levels of phosphorylated proteins in the PI3K-AKT and RAS signaling pathways in TSPY1-overexpressing cancer cells, and by the suppression on the activity of these two pathways in TSPY1-knockdown cells. Further investigation identified that TSPY1 could directly bind to the promoter of insulin growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) to inhibit IGFBP3 expression and that downregulation of IGFBP3 increased the activity of PI3K/AKT/mTOR/BCL2 and RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK/JUN signaling in LUAD and LIHC cells. Taken together, the observations reveal a novel mechanism by which TSPY1 could contribute to the progression of LUAD and LIHC. Our finding is of importance for evaluating the potential of TSPY1 in immunotherapy of male tumor patients with TSPY1 expression.
de Silva HC, Lin MZ, Phillips L, et al.
IGFBP-3 interacts with NONO and SFPQ in PARP-dependent DNA damage repair in triple-negative breast cancer.Cell Mol Life Sci. 2019; 76(10):2015-2030 [
PubMed]
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Women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are generally treated by chemotherapy but their responsiveness may be blunted by DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. We previously reported that IGFBP-3 forms nuclear complexes with EGFR and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) to modulate DSB repair by non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) in TNBC cells. To discover IGFBP-3 binding partners involved in chemoresistance through stimulation of DSB repair, we analyzed the IGFBP-3 interactome by LC-MS/MS and confirmed interactions by coimmunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assay. Functional effects were demonstrated by DNA end-joining in vitro and measurement of γH2AX foci. In response to 20 µM etoposide, the DNA/RNA-binding protein, non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding protein (NONO) and its dimerization partner splicing factor, proline/glutamine-rich (SFPQ) formed complexes with IGFBP-3, demonstrated in basal-like TNBC cell lines HCC1806 and MDA-MB-468. NONO binding to IGFBP-3 was also shown in a cell-free biochemical assay. IGFBP-3 complexes with NONO and SFPQ were blocked by inhibiting EGFR with gefitinib or DNA-PKcs with NU7026, and by the PARP inhibitors veliparib and olaparib, which also reduced DNA end-joining activity and delayed the resolution of the γH2AX signal (i.e. inhibited DNA DSB repair). Downregulation of the long noncoding RNA in NHEJ pathway 1 (LINP1) by siRNA also blocked IGFBP-3 interaction with NONO-SFPQ. These findings suggest a PARP-dependent role for NONO and SFPQ in IGFBP-3-dependent DSB repair and the involvement of LINP1 in the complex formation. We propose that targeting of the DNA repair function of IGFBP-3 may enhance chemosensitivity in basal-like TNBC, thus improving patient outcomes.
Kalledsøe L, Dragsted LO, Hansen L, et al.
The insulin-like growth factor family and breast cancer prognosis: A prospective cohort study among postmenopausal women in Denmark.Growth Horm IGF Res. 2019; 44:33-42 [
PubMed]
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OBJECTIVE: Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been associated with breast cancer (BC) risk. The evidence in relation to BC prognosis is limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between pre-diagnostic serum levels of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3 and BC prognosis (i.e. recurrence, BC specific mortality and all-cause mortality) among women diagnosed with BC. We hypothesized that higher serum levels of IGFs and IGFBPs were associated with poor BC prognosis and that the associations were modified by estrogen receptor (ER) status.
DESIGN: From the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort, 412 postmenopausal women diagnosed with incident BC within 5 years of cohort baseline (1993-1997) were identified. Baseline serum samples were analyzed for IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3. Follow-up was carried out through 2014 by linkage to national Danish registries. Exposures were related to BC prognosis by Cox Proportional Hazard models; effect modification by ER status was investigated and sensitivity analyses by follow-up time were made.
RESULTS: During a median of 15 years, 106 women experienced recurrence and 172 died (118 due to BC). Overall, no associations were observed between IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3 and BC prognosis and no effect modification by ER status was observed. However, higher levels of IGF-II were associated with higher BC specific mortality [Hazard Ratio (HR) (95% Confidence Intervals (CI)): 1.43 (1.01-2.04)] within 10 years of follow-up. Likewise, higher levels of IGFBP-2 were associated with higher BC specific mortality [HR (95% CI): 1.87 (1.19-2.94)] within 5 years of follow-up. In contrast, higher levels of IGFBP-3 were associated with lower risk of recurrence [HR (95% CI): 0.76 (0.60-0.97)] at 5 years of follow-up and BC specific mortality [HR (95% CI): 0.80 (0.65-0.98)] within 10 years of follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study did not support an association between higher serum levels of IGFs, IGFBPs and adverse BC prognosis. However, it is possible that the role of the IGF family in the etiology of the 5-10 year BC prognosis is different from that of longer-term BC prognosis.
Wang W, Wu BQ, Chen GB, et al.
Meta-analysis of the association of IGFBP3 and IGF1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to colorectal cancer.Neoplasma. 2018; 65(6):855-864 [
PubMed]
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The aim of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the associations of IGFBP3 and IGF1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC). We searched the English and Chinese databases and recruited case-control studies based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The statistical analysis was performed by the Comprehensive Meta-analysis 2.0 (CMA 2.0) software and this initially identified 251 studies. We then recruited 10 English studies to this meta-analysis detailed review which includes 9,415 CRC patients and 14,179 healthy controls. Our results demonstrated that IGFBP3 rs2854746 C>G polymorphism increases susceptibility to the CRC (allele model: OR=1.167, 95% CI=1.095~1.244, p<0.001 and to the dominant gene model: OR=1.226, 95% CI=1.113~1.350, p<0.001); but IGFBP3 rs2854744 A>C has no significant association with the CRC susceptibility (allele model: OR=0.970, 95% CI=0.932~1.010, p=0.138; dominant gene model: OR=0.995, 95% CI=0.936~1.057, p=0.874). Also, IGF1 rs35767 C>T polymorphism decreases susceptibility to CRC (allele model: OR=0.785, 95% CI=0.726~0.850, p<0.001 and also the dominant model: OR=0.730, 95% CI=0.661~0.806, p<0.001). However, IGFBP3 rs2854746 C>G is considered the susceptible CRC polymorphism and IGF1 rs35767 C>T is CRC protective.
BACKGROUND: It has been reported that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2854744 at the - 202 locus of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) is associated with serum levels and a number of malignancies. However, the effect of IGFBP3 gene polymorphism on acromegaly is less clear. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to investigate whether the -202A/C polymorphism of IGFBP3 constitutes a risk factor for acromegaly.
METHODS: The study included 102 acromegalic patients and 143 control subjects in Beijing Tiantan Hospital. The genotyping of IGFBP3 was carried out using the MassARRAY method. Serum IGFBP3 concentrations were also determined. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the associations of genetic polymorphisms with the development of acromegaly and its different subtypes.
RESULTS: The study revealed that the C allele of rs2854744 was associated with a reduced risk of acromegaly (OR 0.594, 95% CI 0.388-0.909), as well as with the female (OR 0.385, 95% CI 0.206-0.72), macroadenoma (OR 0.557, 95% CI 0.347-0.893) and monotherapy (OR 0.512, 95% CI 0.316-0.828) subgroups under the additive model. A higher serum IGFBP3 level was observed in patients with the AA genotype, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.331).
CONCLUSION: This study is one of the first to show that the IGFBP3 polymorphism may have an influence on serum levels and that the C allele of rs2854744 is associated with a reduced risk of acromegaly. This correlation was more prominent in females, those with large tumours and those treated with monotherapy in a Chinese population. Genetic polymorphism of IGFBP3 may be involved in the development of acromegaly.
Liu JX, Li W, Li JT, et al.
Screening key long non-coding RNAs in early-stage colon adenocarcinoma by RNA-sequencing.Epigenomics. 2018; 10(9):1215-1228 [
PubMed]
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AIM: We aim to identify the key long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in early-stage colon adenocarcinoma (COAD).
PATIENTS & METHODS: Compared with colonic intraepithelial neoplasia, differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in early-stage COAD were obtained by RNA-sequencing. Our previous work has obtained the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs (DEmRNAs and DEmiRNAs) in early-stage COAD. DEmiRNA-DElncRNA-DEmRNA interaction analysis and functional annotation were performed. Validation of expression and receiver-operating characteristic analyses were performed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas.
RESULTS: Seventy-nine significantly DElncRNAs in early-stage COAD were obtained. MiR-153-3p-TUG1-DAPK1/ARNT2/KLK3/PLD1/SMAD2 and miR-153-3p-SNHG17-COL11A1/IGFBP3/KLF6 interactions were associated with early-stage COAD. Five DElncRNAs (ELFN1-AS1, LINC01234, SNHG17, UCA1 and LOC101929549) involved in early-stage COAD with potential diagnostic value.
CONCLUSION: LncRNAs involve in early-stage COAD by interaction with COAD-regulated genes and miRNAs.
Zhou N, Sun Z, Li N, et al.
miR‑197 promotes the invasion and migration of colorectal cancer by targeting insulin‑like growth factor‑binding protein 3.Oncol Rep. 2018; 40(5):2710-2721 [
PubMed]
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The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) have been rising rapidly in China. A number of miRNAs have been confirmed to be involved in diverse biological processes of CRC. However, whether miR‑197 plays a role in migration and invasion of CRC has never been explored. In the present study Transwell chambers were used in in vitro migration and invasion assays. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to confirm the target of miR‑197. RT‑PCR and IHC staining were performed to quantify miR‑197 and IGFBP3 expression, respectively. Clinicopathological features were collected for statistical analysis. We observed that the overexpression of miR‑197 significantly promoted migration and invasion in 3 CRC cell lines including HCT8, HCT116 and SW480 (P<0.05), while the inhibition of miR‑197 weakened both biological processes (P<0.05). In bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter assay, luciferase activities of IGFBP3‑WT‑transfected cells significantly decreased upon miR‑197 overexpression and this inhibitory effect was abolished when miR‑197 binding region in IGFBP3 3'‑UTR was mutated, which indicated that miR‑197 directly suppressed the expression of IGFBP3 in CRC cells by targeting its 3'UTR. Downregulation of the expression of IGFBP3 by using targeted siRNA led to significant enhancement of cell migration and invasion in two CRC cell lines including HCT8 and HCT116 (P<0.05). Finally, in cancerous tissues of CRC patients, the miR‑197 level was inversely correlated with the expression of IGFBP3 (P=0.026), which indicated that miR‑197 may modulate cell migration and invasion by targeting IGFBP3 in CRC patients. In conclusion, we revealed that miR‑197 modulates IGFBP3 and therefore plays a critical role in regulating CRC migration and invasion.
B-Myb has been shown to play an important oncogenic role in several types of human cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We previously found that B-Myb is aberrantly upregulated in NSCLC, and overexpression of B-Myb can significantly promote NSCLC cell growth and motility. In the present study, we have further investigated the therapeutic potential of B-Myb in NSCLC. Kaplan⁻Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that high expression of B-Myb is significantly associated with poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. A loss-of-function study demonstrated that depletion of B-Myb resulted in significant inhibition of cell growth and delayed cell cycle progression in NSCLC cells. Notably, B-Myb depletion also decreased NSCLC cell migration and invasion ability as well as colony-forming ability. Moreover, an in vivo study demonstrated that B-Myb depletion caused significant inhibition of tumor growth in a NSCLC xenograft nude mouse model. A molecular mechanistic study by RNA-seq analysis revealed that B-Myb depletion led to deregulation of various downstream genes, including insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3). Overexpression of IGFBP3 suppressed the B-Myb-induced proliferation and migration, whereas knockdown of IGFBP3 significantly rescued the inhibited cell proliferation and motility caused by B-Myb siRNA (small interfering RNA). Expression and luciferase reporter assays revealed that B-Myb could directly suppress the expression of IGFBP3. Taken together, our results suggest that B-Myb functions as a tumor-promoting gene via suppressing IGFBP3 and could serve as a novel therapeutic target in NSCLC.
Wang Y, Guo W, Xu H, et al.
An extensive study of the mechanism of prostate cancer metastasis.Neoplasma. 2018; 65(2):253-261 [
PubMed]
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The study aimed to identify the pivotal genes and pathways involved in prostate cancer metastasis. Using the expression profile dataset GSE7930, downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between primary and highly metastatic prostate cell samples were screened, followed by functional analysis and tumor associated genes (TAG) screening. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed and module analysis was performed. The expression of DEGs and pathway related genes were evaluated by PCR analysis and the migra- tion ability of prostate tumor cells was observed after FABP4-siRNA blocking. Upregulated FABP4 and GK were signifi- cantly enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway, whereas downregulated IGFBP3 and THBS1 were involved in p53 signaling pathway. Among the identified DEGs, 4 downregulated genes (IGFBP3, NPP4B, THBS1, and PCDH1) and 2 upregulated genes (GJA1 and TUSC3) were TAGs. The module was associated with focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, p53 signaling, and gap junction pathways with the hub node GJA1. After FABP4 silencing by siRNAs in LNcap and metastatic DU-145 cells, the numbers of migrated cells were all significantly declined. The expressions of IGFBP3, TP53 and PPAR were significantly lower in DU-145 cells than in LNcap cells. In conclusion, FABP4, IGFBP3, THBS1, and GJA1 were determined to be potential markers of prostate cancer cell metastasis, and P53, PPAR and gap junction pathways were found to play important roles in prostate cancer cell metastasis. This study may provide helpful guidelines for clinical management.
Background: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common liver tumor of childhood and occurs predominantly within the first 3 years of life. In accordance to its early manifestation, HB has been described to display an extremely low mutation rate. As substitute, epigenetic modifiers seem to play an exceptional role in its tumorigenesis, which holds promise to develop targeted therapies and establish biomarkers for patient risk stratification.
Results: We examined the role of a newly described protein complex consisting of three epigenetic regulators, namely E3 ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domain 1 (UHRF1), ubiquitin-specific-processing protease 7 (USP7), and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), in HB. We found the complex to be located on the promoter regions of the pivotal HB-associated tumor suppressor genes (TSGs)
Conclusion: These findings suggest that UHRF1 is critical for aberrant TSG silencing and sustained growth signaling in HB and that
Pharmacologically difficult targets, such as MYC transcription factors, represent a major challenge in cancer therapy. For the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, amplification of the oncogene MYCN is associated with high-risk disease and poor prognosis. Here, we deployed genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screening of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma and found a preferential dependency on genes encoding the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) components EZH2, EED, and SUZ12. Genetic and pharmacological suppression of EZH2 inhibited neuroblastoma growth in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, compared with neuroblastomas without MYCN amplification, MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas expressed higher levels of EZH2. ChIP analysis showed that MYCN binds at the EZH2 promoter, thereby directly driving expression. Transcriptomic and epigenetic analysis, as well as genetic rescue experiments, revealed that EZH2 represses neuronal differentiation in neuroblastoma in a PRC2-dependent manner. Moreover, MYCN-amplified and high-risk primary tumors from patients with neuroblastoma exhibited strong repression of EZH2-regulated genes. Additionally, overexpression of IGFBP3, a direct EZH2 target, suppressed neuroblastoma growth in vitro and in vivo. We further observed strong synergy between histone deacetylase inhibitors and EZH2 inhibitors. Together, these observations demonstrate that MYCN upregulates EZH2, leading to inactivation of a tumor suppressor program in neuroblastoma, and support testing EZH2 inhibitors in patients with MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma.
BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Dysregulation of HomeoboxD10 (HOXD10) was found to suppress or promote cancer progression in different cancer types. The function and regulation of HOXD10 remain unclear in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
METHODS: Primary HCC samples (117), normal liver tissue samples (15), and 13 HCC cell lines (SNU182, SNU449, HBXF344, SMMC7721, Huh7, HepG2, LM3, PLC/PRF/5, BEL7402, SNU387, SNU475, QGY7703, and Huh1) were included in this study. Methylation-specific PCR, flow cytometry, western blot, transwell, siRNA, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were employed.
RESULTS: HOXD10 was methylated in 76.9% (90/117) of human primary HCC samples. HOXD10 methylation was significantly associated with vessel cancerous embolus, tumor cell differentiation, and the 3-year overall survival rate (all
CONCLUSION: HOXD10 is frequently methylated in human HCC, and the expression of HOXD10 is regulated by promoter region methylation. HOXD10 suppresses HCC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. HOXD10 suppresses human HCC by inhibiting ERK signaling.
Vastrad B, Vastrad C, Tengli A, Iliger S
Identification of differentially expressed genes regulated by molecular signature in breast cancer-associated fibroblasts by bioinformatics analysis.Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2018; 297(1):161-183 [
PubMed]
Related Publications
OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is a severe risk to public health and has adequately convoluted pathogenesis. Therefore, the description of key molecular markers and pathways is of much importance for clarifying the molecular mechanism of breast cancer-associated fibroblasts initiation and progression. Breast cancer-associated fibroblasts gene expression dataset was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database.
METHODS: A total of nine samples, including three normal fibroblasts, three granulin-stimulated fibroblasts and three cancer-associated fibroblasts samples, were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between normal fibroblasts, granulin-stimulated fibroblasts and cancer-associated fibroblasts samples. The gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis was performed, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the DEGs was constructed by NetworkAnalyst software.
RESULTS: Totally, 190 DEGs were identified, including 66 up-regulated and 124 down-regulated genes. GO analysis results showed that up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes (BP), including cell-cell signalling and negative regulation of cell proliferation; molecular function (MF), including insulin-like growth factor II binding and insulin-like growth factor I binding; cellular component (CC), including insulin-like growth factor binding protein complex and integral component of plasma membrane; the down-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in BP, including cell adhesion and extracellular matrix organization; MF, including N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase activity and calcium ion binding; CC, including extracellular space and extracellular matrix. WIKIPATHWAYS analysis showed the up-regulated DEGs were enriched in myometrial relaxation and contraction pathways. WIKIPATHWAYS, REACTOME, PID_NCI and KEGG pathway analysis showed the down-regulated DEGs were enriched endochondral ossification, TGF beta signalling pathway, integrin cell surface interactions, beta1 integrin cell surface interactions, malaria and glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis-chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulphate. The top 5 up-regulated hub genes, CDKN2A, MME, PBX1, IGFBP3, and TFAP2C and top 5 down-regulated hub genes VCAM1, KRT18, TGM2, ACTA2, and STAMBP were identified from the PPI network, and subnetworks revealed these genes were involved in significant pathways, including myometrial relaxation and contraction pathways, integrin cell surface interactions, beta1 integrin cell surface interaction. Besides, the target hsa-mirs for DEGs were identified. hsa-mir-759, hsa-mir-4446-5p, hsa-mir-219a-1-3p and hsa-mir-26a-5p were important miRNAs in this study.
CONCLUSIONS: We pinpoint important key genes and pathways closely related with breast cancer-associated fibroblasts initiation and progression by a series of bioinformatics analysis on DEGs. These screened genes and pathways provided for a more detailed molecular mechanism underlying breast cancer-associated fibroblasts occurrence and progression, holding promise for acting as molecular markers and probable therapeutic targets.
Jung SY, Rohan T, Strickler H, et al.
Genetic variants and traits related to insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin resistance and their interaction with lifestyles on postmenopausal colorectal cancer risk.PLoS One. 2017; 12(10):e0186296 [
PubMed]
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Genetic variants and traits in metabolic signaling pathways may interact with lifestyle factors such as obesity, physical activity, and exogenous estrogen (E), influencing postmenopausal colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but these interrelated pathways are not fully understood. In this case-cohort study, we examined 33 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I)/ insulin resistance (IR) traits and signaling pathways, using data from 704 postmenopausal women in Women's Health Initiative Observation ancillary studies. Stratifying by the lifestyle modifiers, we assessed the effects of IGF-I/IR traits (fasting total and free IGF-I, IGF binding protein-3, insulin, glucose, and homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance) on CRC risk as a mediator or influencing factor. Six SNPs in the INS, IGF-I, and IGFBP3 genes were associated with CRC risk, and those associations differed between non-obese/active and obese/inactive women and between E nonusers and users. Roughly 30% of the cancer risk due to the SNP was mediated by IGF-I/IR traits. Likewise, carriers of 11 SNPs in the IRS1 and AKT1/2 genes (signaling pathway-related genetic variants) had different associations with CRC risk between strata, and the proportion of the SNP-cancer association explained by traits varied from 30% to 50%. Our findings suggest that IGF-I/IR genetic variants interact with obesity, physical activity, and exogenous E, altering postmenopausal CRC risk, through IGF-I/IR traits, but also through different pathways. Unraveling gene-phenotype-lifestyle interactions will provide data on potential genetic targets in clinical trials for cancer prevention and intervention strategies to reduce CRC risk.
BACKGROUND: New molecular targets are needed for women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This pre-clinical study investigated the combination of the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib with the sphingosine kinase (SphK) inhibitor FTY720 (Fingolimod), aiming to block tumorigenic signaling downstream of IGFBP-3, which is abundantly expressed in basal-like TNBC.
METHODS: In studies of breast cancer cell growth in culture, proliferation was monitored by IncuCyte live-cell imaging, and protein abundance was determined by western blotting. In vivo studies of mammary tumor growth used two models: orthotopic xenograft tumors derived from three basal-like TNBC cell lines, grown in immune-deficient mice, and syngeneic murine 4T1 tumors grown in immune-competent mice. Protein abundance in tumor tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS: Quantitated by live-cell imaging, the inhibitor combination showed synergistic cytostatic activity in basal-like cell lines across several TNBC molecular subtypes, the synergy being decreased by IGFBP-3 downregulation. Suppression of the tumorigenic mediator CD44 by gefitinib was potentiated by FTY720, consistent with CD44 involvement in the targeted pathway. In MDA-MB-468 and HCC1806 orthotopic TNBC xenograft tumors in nude mice, the drug combination inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival, although this effect was not significant for the gefitinib-resistant cell line HCC70. Combination treatment of murine 4T1 TNBC tumors in syngeneic BALB/c mice was more effective in immune-competent than immune-deficient (nude) mice, and a relative loss of tumor CD3 (T-cell) immunoreactivity caused by FTY720 treatment alone was alleviated by the drug combination, suggesting that, even at an FTY720 dose causing relative lymphopenia, the combination is still effective in an immune-competent setting. Immunohistochemistry of xenograft tumors showed significant enhancement of caspase-3 cleavage and suppression of Ki67 and phospho-EGFR by the drug combination, but SphK1 downregulation occurred only in MDA-MB-468 tumors, so is unlikely to be integral to treatment efficacy.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that targeting IGFBP-3-dependent signaling pathways through gefitinib-FTY720 co-therapy may be effective in many basal-like breast cancers, and suggest tissue IGFBP-3 and CD44 measurement as potential biomarkers of treatment efficacy.
Peng T, Zhou L, Qi H, et al.
MiR-592 functions as a tumor suppressor in glioma by targeting IGFBP2.Tumour Biol. 2017; 39(7):1010428317719273 [
PubMed]
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A growing body of evidence suggests that microRNA-592 is involved in tumor initiation and development in several types of human cancers. However, the biological functions and molecular mechanism of microRNA-592 in glioma remain unclear. In this study, we explored the potential role of microRNA-592 in glioma as well as the possible molecular mechanisms. Our results proved that microRNA-592 expression was significantly downregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines (p < 0.01). Functional assays revealed that overexpression of microRNA-592 dramatically reduced the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced cell arrest at G1/G0 phase in vitro. Mechanistic investigations defined insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 as a direct and functional downstream target of microRNA-592, which was involved in the microRNA-592-mediated tumor-suppressive effects in glioma cells. Moreover, the in vivo study showed that microRNA-592 overexpression produced the smaller tumor volume and weight in nude mice. In summary, these results elucidated the function of microRNA-592 in glioma progression and suggested a promising application of it in glioma treatment.
De Marco C, Laudanna C, Rinaldo N, et al.
Specific gene expression signatures induced by the multiple oncogenic alterations that occur within the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway in lung cancer.PLoS One. 2017; 12(6):e0178865 [
PubMed]
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Hyperactivation of the phosphatydil-inositol-3' phosphate kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway is observed in most NSCLCs, promoting proliferation, migration, invasion and resistance to therapy. AKT can be activated through several mechanisms that include loss of the negative regulator PTEN, activating mutations of the catalytic subunit of PI3K (PIK3CA) and/or mutations of AKT1 itself. However, number and identity of downstream targets of activated PI3K/AKT pathway are poorly defined. To identify the genes that are targets of constitutive PI3K/AKT signalling in lung cancer cells, we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) expressing active mutant AKT1 (AKT1-E17K), active mutant PIK3CA (PIK3CA-E545K) or that are silenced for PTEN. We found that, altogether, aberrant PI3K/AKT signalling in lung epithelial cells regulated the expression of 1,960/20,436 genes (9%), though only 30 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (15 up-regulated, 12 down-regulated and 3 discordant) out of 20,436 that were common among BEAS-AKT1-E17K, BEAS-PIK3CA-E545K and BEAS-shPTEN cells (0.1%). Conversely, DEGs specific for mutant AKT1 were 133 (85 up-regulated; 48 down-regulated), DEGs specific for mutant PIK3CA were 502 (280 up-regulated; 222 down-regulated) and DEGs specific for PTEN loss were 1549 (799 up-regulated, 750 down-regulated). The results obtained from array analysis were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR on selected up- and down-regulated genes (n = 10). Treatment of BEAS-C cells and the corresponding derivatives with pharmacological inhibitors of AKT (MK2206) or PI3K (LY294002) further validated the significance of our findings. Moreover, mRNA expression of selected DEGs (SGK1, IGFBP3, PEG10, GDF15, PTGES, S100P, respectively) correlated with the activation status of the PI3K/AKT pathway assessed by S473 phosphorylation in NSCLC cell lines (n = 6). Finally, we made use of Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to investigate the relevant BioFunctions enriched by the costitutive activation of AKT1-, PI3K- or PTEN-dependent signalling in lung epithelial cells. Expectedly, the analysis of the DEGs common to all three alterations highlighted a group of BioFunctions that included Cell Proliferation of tumor cell lines (14 DEGs), Invasion of cells (10 DEGs) and Migration of tumour cell lines (10 DEGs), with a common core of 5 genes (ATF3, CDKN1A, GDF15, HBEGF and LCN2) that likely represent downstream effectors of the pro-oncogenic activities of PI3K/AKT signalling. Conversely, IPA analysis of exclusive DEGs led to the identification of different downstream effectors that are modulated by mutant AKT1 (TGFBR2, CTSZ, EMP1), mutant PIK3CA (CCND2, CDK2, IGFBP2, TRIB1) and PTEN loss (ASNS, FHL2). These findings not only shed light on the molecular mechanisms that are activated by aberrant signalling through the PI3K/AKT pathway in lung epithelial cells, but also contribute to the identification of previously unrecognised molecules whose regulation takes part in the development of lung cancer.
PURPOSE: The molecular nature and the rate-limiting step of epigenetic field defects in the evolution of left-sided colorectal cancer (LCA) remain uncertain.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The methylation status of 27 candidate field defect markers, six classic CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) markers, and LINE-1 were determined in LCA and adjacent normal mucosas (ADJs) from 33 LCA patients and in left normal colorectal mucosa (LNM) from 33 age- and sex-matched controls. Hotspot mutation analyses in KRAS codons 12 and 13 and BRAF V600E were performed by genomic PCR and pyrosequencing using DNA extracted from endoscopically biopsied tissues.
RESULTS: Among the 27 candidate genes tested, we confirmed 15 differentially methylated genes in cancer (15 DMGs; ER, SFRP1, MYOD1, MGMT, CD8a, SPOCK2, ABHD9, BNIP3, IGFBP3, WIF1, MAL, GDNF, ALX4, DOK5, and SLC16A12) in comparison to ADJ samples. We further compared the methylation status of 15 DMGs of ADJs to LNM and found only methylation levels of SLC16A12 in ADJs of LCA patients to be significantly higher than that in LNM (17.3% vs. 11.5%, p=0.002). Based on the CIMP, no significant differences in methylation levels of the 15 DMGs were found between ADJs in CIMP positive LCA cases and those without CIMP. In mutation analyses, no mutation was found in ADJs, while significant KRAS mutations (6/33, 18%) were noted in LCA samples.
CONCLUSION: Epigenetic field defect marked by aberrant methylation is uncommon in normal-appearing ADJs of LCA, indicating the critical rate-limiting change of methylation is likely to occur with morphological alterations in the evolution of LCA.
Deivendran S, Marzook H, Santhoshkumar TR, et al.
Metastasis-associated protein 1 is an upstream regulator of DNMT3a and stimulator of insulin-growth factor binding protein-3 in breast cancer.Sci Rep. 2017; 7:44225 [
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Despite a recognized role of DNA methyltransferase 3a (DNMT3a) in human cancer, the nature of its upstream regulator(s) and relationship with the master chromatin remodeling factor MTA1, continues to be poorly understood. Here, we found an inverse relationship between the levels of MTA1 and DNMT3a in human cancer and that high levels of MTA1 in combination of low DNMT3a status correlates well with poor survival of breast cancer patients. We discovered that MTA1 represses DNMT3a expression via HDAC1/YY1 transcription factor complex. Because IGFBP3 is an established target of DNMT3a, we investigated the effect of MTA1 upon IGFBP3 expression, and found a coactivator role of MTA1/c-Jun/Pol II coactivator complex upon the IGFBP3 transcription. In addition, MTA1 overexpression correlates well with low levels of DNMT3a which, in turn also correlates with a high IGFBP3 status in breast cancer patients and predicts a poor clinical outcome for breast cancer patients. These findings suggest that MTA1 could regulate the expression of IGFBP3 in both DNMT3a-dependent and -independent manner. Together findings presented here recognize an inherent role of MTA1 as a modifier of DNMT3a and IGFBP3 expression, and consequently, the role of MTA1-DNMT3a-IGFBP3 axis in breast cancer progression.
Ali SHB, Bangash KS, Rauf A, et al.
Identification of novel potential genetic predictors of urothelial bladder carcinoma susceptibility in Pakistani population.Fam Cancer. 2017; 16(4):577-594 [
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Urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) is the most common among urinary bladder neoplasms. We carried out a preliminary study to determine the genetic etiology of UBC in Pakistani population, for this 25 sequence variants from 17 candidate genes were studied in 400 individuals by using polymerase chain reaction-based techniques. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for association analysis of the overall data as well as the data stratified by smoking status, tumor grade and tumor stage. Variants of GSTM1, IGFBP3, LEPR and ACE were found to be associated with altered UBC risk in the overall comparison. CYP1B1 and CDKN1A variants displayed a risk modulation among smokers; IGFBP3 and LEPR variants among non-smokers while GSTM1 polymorphism exhibited association with both. GSTM1 and LEPR variants conferred an altered susceptibility to low grade UBC; GSTT1, IGFBP3 and PPARG variants to high grade UBC while ACE polymorphism to both grades. GSTM1 and LEPR variants exhibited risk modulation for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC); GSTT1 and PPARG variants for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), and ACE variant for NMIBC as well as MIBC. In general, the susceptibility markers were common for low grade and NMIBC; and distinct from those for high grade and MIBC indicating the distinct pathologies of both groups. In brief, our results conform to reports of previously associated variants in addition to identifying novel potential genetic predictors of UBC susceptibility.
Wang HH, Wang YC, Wu DW, et al.
Targeting insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 by microRNA-125b promotes tumor invasion and poor outcomes in non-small-cell lung cancer.Tumour Biol. 2017; 39(4):1010428317694316 [
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Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 acts as a tumor suppressor that inhibits the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway due to blocking insulin growth factor-1 binding to its receptor. We hypothesized that insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 might be targeted by microRNA-125b and promote tumor invasion and poor outcome in non-small-cell lung cancer via activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were performed to determine the level of microRNA-125b, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 messenger RNA, and phosphorylated-AKT expression in 105 tumors from non-small-cell lung cancer patients. Low insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 messenger RNA levels and positive phosphorylated-AKT expression were more commonly found in patients with high microRNA-125b tumors than low microRNA-125b tumors. A poorer overall survival and relapse-free survival were observed in patients with high microRNA-125b tumors than low-microRNA-125b tumors in p53-mutated patients, but not in p53-wild-type patients. Mechanistically, microRNA-125b promotes invasion ability in p53-mutated cells via the PI3K/AKT activation by targeting of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3, but this effect was not observed in p53-wild-type cells. An increase in phosphorylated-AKT expression due to targeting of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 by microRNA-125b was responsible for cell invasion in p53-mutated cells. In conclusion, the microRNA-125b level promotes invasive ability in p53-mutated cells via PI3K/AKT activation by targeting of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3, thereby resulting in p53-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer patients with poor outcomes.
Wang YA, Sun Y, Palmer J, et al.
IGFBP3 Modulates Lung Tumorigenesis and Cell Growth through IGF1 Signaling.Mol Cancer Res. 2017; 15(7):896-904 [
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Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) modulates cell growth through IGF-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Reports suggest that the serum levels of IGFBP3 are associated with various cancers and that IGFBP3 expression is significantly decreased in cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant lung cancer cells. Based on these findings, we investigated whether
Yamaoka T, Ohmori T, Ohba M, et al.
Distinct Afatinib Resistance Mechanisms Identified in Lung Adenocarcinoma Harboring an EGFR Mutation.Mol Cancer Res. 2017; 15(7):915-928 [
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EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are associated with significant responses in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring
AIM: To explore novel therapeutic target of cisplatin resistance in human gastric cancer.
METHODS: The sensitivity of SGC7901 cells and cisplatin-resistant SGC7901 cells (SGC7901/DDP) for cisplatin were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. High-quality total RNA which isolated from SGC7901/DDP cells and SGC7901 cells were used for mRNA microarray analysis. Results were analyzed bioinformatically to predict their roles in the development of cisplatin resistance and the expression of 13 dysregulated mRNAs we selected were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
RESULTS: SGC7901/DDP cells highly resistant to cisplatin demonstrated by MTT assay. A total of 1308 mRNAs (578 upregulated and 730 downregulated) were differentially expressed (fold change ≥ 2 and
CONCLUSION: Exploration of those altered mRNAs may provide more promising strategy in diagnosis and therapy for gastric cancer with cisplatin resistance.
Hüsing A, Fortner RT, Kühn T, et al.
Added Value of Serum Hormone Measurements in Risk Prediction Models for Breast Cancer for Women Not Using Exogenous Hormones: Results from the EPIC Cohort.Clin Cancer Res. 2017; 23(15):4181-4189 [
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Basu R, Wu S, Kopchick JJ
Targeting growth hormone receptor in human melanoma cells attenuates tumor progression and epithelial mesenchymal transition via suppression of multiple oncogenic pathways.Oncotarget. 2017; 8(13):21579-21598 [
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Recent reports have confirmed highest levels of growth hormone (GH) receptor (GHR) transcripts in melanoma, one of the most aggressive forms of human cancer. Yet the mechanism of GH action in melanoma remains mostly unknown. Here, using human malignant melanoma cells, we examined the effects of GH excess or siRNA mediated GHR knock-down (GHRKD) on tumor proliferation, migration and invasion. GH promoted melanoma progression while GHRKD attenuated the same. Western blot analysis revealed drastic modulation of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways (JAK2, STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, AKT, mTOR, SRC and ERK1/2) following addition of GH or GHRKD. Further, we show that GH excess upregulates expression of markers of epithelial mesenchymal transition in human melanoma, while the effects were reversed by GHRKD. Interestingly, we observed consistent expression of GH transcript in the melanoma cells as well as marked modulation of the IGF receptors and binding proteins (IGF1R, IGF2R, IR, IGFBP2, IGFBP3) and the oncogenic HGF-MET mRNA, in response to excess GH or GHRKD. Our study thus identifies the mechanistic model of GH-GHR action in human melanoma and validates it as an important pharmacological target of intervention.
Zhou W, Wang S, Ying Y, et al.
miR-196b/miR-1290 participate in the antitumor effect of resveratrol via regulation of IGFBP3 expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Oncol Rep. 2017; 37(2):1075-1083 [
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MicroRNAs play critical roles in the progression of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Previous studies have indicated that miR-196b and miR-1290 play critical roles in T-cell ALL (T-ALL) and B-cell ALL (B-ALL), respectively. Resveratrol, a natural edible polyphenolic phytoalexin, possesses certain anticancer activities. Nevertheless, the mechanism involved in the regulation of ALL by resveratrol is still poorly understood. The present study aimed to reveal the potential mechanism underlying the antitumor effect of resveratrol in ALL focusing on miRNAs. Research indicates that insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) plays a critical role in the aetiology of ALL. In the present study, we first demonstrated that the expression of IGFBP3 was decreased in ALL patients. We further identified that miR-196b and miR-1290 were overexpressed in T-ALL TALL-104 and B-ALL SUP-B15 cell lines, respectively. Moreover, resveratrol markedly decreased the overexpression of miR-196b/miR-1290 and elevated IGFBP3 expression in the ALL cell lines. As an miR-196b/miR-1290 inhibitor, resveratrol was further demonstrated to exert antitumor effects on ALL cells including antiproliferation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and inhibition of migration. Dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-196b/miR-1290 directly bound to the 3'-untranslated (3'-UTR) region of IGFBP3 mRNA. Moreover, we observed that IGFBP3 short interfering RNA reversed the antitumor activity of resveratrol against ALL cells. Taken together, the present study provides evidence that resveratrol targets miR-196b and miR-1290 for its antitumor activity in T-ALL and B-ALL, respectively. The present study also confirms that both miR‑196b and miR-1290 target the IGFBP3 3'-UTR and are potential therapeutic targets for ALL.