PTPRF

Gene Summary

Gene:PTPRF; protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type F
Aliases: LAR, BNAH2
Location:1p34.2
Summary:The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family. PTPs are known to be signaling molecules that regulate a variety of cellular processes including cell growth, differentiation, mitotic cycle, and oncogenic transformation. This PTP possesses an extracellular region, a single transmembrane region, and two tandem intracytoplasmic catalytic domains, and thus represents a receptor-type PTP. The extracellular region contains three Ig-like domains, and nine non-Ig like domains similar to that of neural-cell adhesion molecule. This PTP was shown to function in the regulation of epithelial cell-cell contacts at adherents junctions, as well as in the control of beta-catenin signaling. An increased expression level of this protein was found in the insulin-responsive tissue of obese, insulin-resistant individuals, and may contribute to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene, which encode distinct proteins, have been reported. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Databases:OMIM, HGNC, Ensembl, GeneCard, Gene
Protein:receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase F
Source:NCBIAccessed: 01 September, 2019

Ontology:

What does this gene/protein do?
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Pathways:What pathways are this gene/protein implicaed in?
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Cancer Overview

Research Indicators

Publications Per Year (1994-2019)
Graph generated 01 September 2019 using data from PubMed using criteria.

Literature Analysis

Mouse over the terms for more detail; many indicate links which you can click for dedicated pages about the topic.

  • beta Catenin
  • DNA Methylation
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases
  • Urothelium
  • Phosphorylation
  • Receptor, erbB-2
  • Chromosome 1
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Western Blotting
  • Signal Transduction
  • Receptor-Like Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Class 2
  • Staging
  • Cancer Gene Expression Regulation
  • Soft Tissue Sarcoma
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Tyrosine
  • Breast Cancer
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Transfection
  • Ribosomal Protein S6
  • Messenger RNA
  • Xenograft Models
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Genetic Predisposition
  • Gene Ontology
  • Up-Regulation
  • Melanoma
  • Alternative Splicing
  • Skin Cancer
  • Tumor Suppressor Gene
  • Cell Movement
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Exons
  • Species Specificity
  • Transcription Factors
  • Cell Surface Receptors
  • Brain Tumours
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Lung Cancer
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 13
  • Neoplasm Proteins
Tag cloud generated 01 September, 2019 using data from PubMed, MeSH and CancerIndex

Specific Cancers (8)

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).

Latest Publications: PTPRF (cancer-related)

Candelaria RP, Adrada BE, Wei W, et al.
Imaging features of triple-negative breast cancers according to androgen receptor status.
Eur J Radiol. 2019; 114:167-174 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
OBJECTIVE: Different molecular subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have previously been identified through analysis of gene expression profiles. The luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype has been shown to have a lower rate of pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy than other TNBC subtypes. The purpose of this study was to determine if the imaging features of TNBCs differ by AR (androgen receptor) status, which is a surrogate immunohistochemical (IHC) marker for the chemoresistant LAR subtype of TNBC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This sub-study was part of a clinical trial in patients with stage I-III TNBC who were prospectively monitored for response while receiving neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) at a single comprehensive cancer center. This interim imaging analysis included 144 patients with known AR status measured by IHC. AR-positive (AR+) tumors were defined as those in which at least 10% of tumor cells had positive nuclear AR staining. Two experienced, fellowship-trained breast radiologists who were blinded to the IHC results retrospectively reviewed and reached consensus on all imaging studies for the index lesion (i.e., mammogram, ultrasound, and breast magnetic resonance imaging). The index lesion for each patient was reviewed and described according to the fifth edition of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon. Logistic regression modeling was used to identify imaging features predictive of AR status. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Univariate logistic regression models for AR status showed that AR+ TNBC was significantly associated with heterogeneously dense breast composition on mammography (p = 0.02), mass with calcifications (p = 0.05), irregular mass shape on mammography (p = 0.03), and irregular mass shape on sonography (p = 0.003). Multivariate logistic regression models for AR status showed that AR+ TNBC was significantly associated with heterogeneously dense breast composition on mammography (p = 0.01), high mass density on mammography (p = 0.003), and irregular mass shape on sonography (p = 0.0004).
CONCLUSION: The imaging features of TNBCs differ by AR status. Multimodality breast imaging may help identify the LAR subtype of TNBC, which has been shown to be a subtype that is relatively resistant to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Imanishi S, Naoi Y, Shimazu K, et al.
Clinicopathological analysis of homologous recombination-deficient breast cancers with special reference to response to neoadjuvant paclitaxel followed by FEC.
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2019; 174(3):627-637 [PubMed] Related Publications
PURPOSE: This study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological characteristics of breast tumors with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) and the sensitivity to neoadjuvant paclitaxel followed by fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (P-FEC).
METHODS: Tumor biopsy samples obtained before P-FEC from 141 patients with stages II-III breast cancer including the luminal (n = 76), luminal-HER2 (n = 13), HER2 (n = 17), and triple-negative (TNBC, n = 35) subtypes were subjected to assay for HRD score using the OncoScan CNV FFPE Assay Kit. HRD score was a simple sum of NtAI, LOH, and LST (cutoff, 42). TNBCs were also subjected to the gene expression assay using the Affymetrix microarray (U133 plus 2.0) and to the BRCA1 promoter methylation assay using the methylation-specific real-time PCR.
RESULTS: Of the 141 breast tumors, 45 samples (32%) had high HRD scores and were associated with high histological grade (P = 0.001), negative progesterone receptor (P = 0.018), high Ki67 index (P = 0.032), and BRCA1 promoter methylation (P = 3.6e-07). The proportion of tumors with high HRD scores was significantly higher in the TNBC subtype than the others (P = 0.006). In the TNBC subtype, but not the others, high HRD scores were significantly (P = 0.001) associated with a low pathological complete response rate to P-FEC. Among the molecular TNBC subtypes, a majority of tumors belonging to the basal-like 1, immunomodulatory, mesenchymal, mesenchymal stem-like, but not luminal androgen receptor (LAR), subtypes had high HRD scores.
CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-third of sporadic breast tumors show a high HRD score, indicating the presence of homologous recombination dysfunction, and they are characterized by biologically aggressive phenotypes, most commonly in the TNBC subtype, and less sensitive to P-FEC.

Harano K, Wang Y, Lim B, et al.
Rates of immune cell infiltration in patients with triple-negative breast cancer by molecular subtype.
PLoS One. 2018; 13(10):e0204513 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
In patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with improved survival. Lehmann et al. identified 4 molecular subtypes of TNBC [basal-like (BL) 1, BL2, mesenchymal (M), and luminal androgen receptor (LAR)], and an immunomodulatory (IM) gene expression signature indicates the presence of TILs and modifies these subtypes. The association between TNBC subtype and TILs is not known. Also, the association between inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and the presence of TILs is not known. Therefore, we studied the IM subtype distribution among different TNBC subtypes. We retrospectively analyzed patients with TNBC from the World IBC Consortium dataset. The molecular subtype and the IM signature [positive (IM+) or negative (IM-)] were analyzed. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the distribution of positivity for the IM signature according to the TNBC molecular subtype and IBC status. There were 88 patients with TNBC in the dataset, and among them 39 patients (44%) had IBC and 49 (56%) had non-IBC. The frequency of IM+ cases differed by TNBC subtype (p = 0.001). The frequency of IM+ cases by subtype was as follows: BL1, 48% (14/29); BL2, 30% (3/10); LAR, 18% (3/17); and M, 0% (0/21) (in 11 patients, the subtype could not be determined). The frequency of IM+ cases did not differ between patients with IBC and non-IBC (23% and 33%, respectively; p = 0.35). In conclusion, the IM signature representing the underlying molecular correlate of TILs in the tumor may differ by TNBC subtype but not by IBC status.

Harbhajanka A, Chahar S, Miskimen K, et al.
Clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular correlation of neural crest transcription factor SOX10 expression in triple-negative breast carcinoma.
Hum Pathol. 2018; 80:163-169 [PubMed] Related Publications
The transcription factor SOX10 mediates the differentiation of neural crest-derived cells, and SOX10 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is used primarily for the diagnosis of melanoma. SOX10 expression has been previously documented in benign breast myoepithelial cells. However there is limited literature on its expression in triple-negative breast carcinoma (TNBC). The aim was to study the clinical, pathologic and molecular profiles of SOX10+ tumors in TNBC. Tissue microarrays of TNBC were evaluated for SOX10 expression in 48 cases. SOX10 expression was correlated with clinical and pathologic features such as age, grade, and stage. Gene expression was analyzed on RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens with Affymetrix 2.0 HTA. Co-expression of SOX10 with androgen receptor (AR), WT1, gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15), mammaglobin, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), CK5/6 and GATA transcription factor 3 (GATA3) were also assessed. The mean age was 59.38 (range, 28-90 years). Overall, 37.5% cases (18/48) were SOX10+. There was no association between SOX10 expression and age, grade or stage of patients; 6 of 10 (60%) cases of basal-like 1 (BL1), and 5 of 8 cases of unstable (UNS) molecular subtype were SOX10+. One of 5 basal-like-2 (BL2), 1 of 6 immunomodulatory (IM), 1 of 4 mesenchymal (M), 1 of 5 luminal androgen receptor (LAR) and 2 of 8 mesenchymal stem cell (MSL) showed lower frequencies of SOX10 expression. There was negative correlation between SOX10 and AR+ subtypes (P < .002). SOX10 was positively correlated with WT1 (P = .05). SOX10 did not show significant correlation with mammaglobin, GCDFP15, EGFR, CK5/6 and GATA3. SOX10 expression in the basal-like and unstable molecular subtypes supports the concept that these neoplasms show myoepithelial differentiation.

Astvatsaturyan K, Yue Y, Walts AE, Bose S
Androgen receptor positive triple negative breast cancer: Clinicopathologic, prognostic, and predictive features.
PLoS One. 2018; 13(6):e0197827 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
INTRODUCTION: Overexpression of the androgen receptor (AR) characterizes a distinct molecular subset of triple negative breast carcinomas (TNBC). The role of AR as a prognostic/predictive biomarker in TNBC is controversial, but increasing evidence suggests that this subset may respond to therapeutic agents targeting AR. Evaluation of AR has not been standardized, and criteria for selection of patients for antiandrogen therapy remain controversial. In this study we determine the appropriate threshold of AR immunoreactivity to define AR positive (AR+) TNBC, describe the clinicopathologic features of AR+ TNBC, and discuss the utility of AR positivity as a prognostic and predictive marker in TNBC.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: 135 invasive TNBC processed in accordance with ASCO/CAP guidelines, were immunostained for AR. Clinicopathologic features of AR+ TNBC were analyzed and compared to AR negative (AR-) TNBC. Patients' age, tumor size, tumor grade, lymph node status, proliferation rate, immunopositivity for EGFR, CK5/6, Ki-67, and disease free survival (DFS) were evaluated statistically.
RESULTS: A 1% cutpoint was confirmed as the appropriate threshold for AR positivity. Using this cutpoint 41% of 135 TNBC were AR+. AR+ TNBC occurred in older women, were larger, had lower mean proliferation rate and increased incidence of axillary metastasis than AR- TNBC. 76% of TNBC with apocrine morphology were AR+. A subset of AR+TNBC expressed basal markers (EGFR and CK5/6). A prognostic model was created.
SUMMARY: AR identifies a heterogeneous group of TNBC. Additional evaluation of EGFR expression allowed us to stratify TNBCs into 3 risk groups with significant differences in DFS and therapeutic implications: low-risk (AR+ EGFR-) which represents the LAR molecular subtype with the best prognosis and may benefit the most from anti-androgen therapies; high-risk (AR- EGFR+) which represents the basal molecular subtype with the worst prognosis and may benefit the most from chemotherapy regimens; intermediate-risk (AR+EGFR+ and AR-EGFR-) TNBC with an intermediate prognosis. Prospective trials are required to further validate this prognostic and predictive grouping.

Zhang Y, Fang L, Zang Y, Xu Z
Identification of Core Genes and Key Pathways via Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Profiles in Bladder Cancer.
Med Sci Monit. 2018; 24:3024-3033 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
BACKGROUND Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common urological malignant tumor. In BC, aberrant DNA methylation is believed to be associated with carcinogenesis. Therefore, the identification of key genes and pathways could help determine the potential molecular mechanisms of BC development. MATERIAL AND METHODS Microarray data on gene expression and gene methylation were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Abnormal methylated/expressed genes were analyzed by GEO2R and statistical software R. Gene Ontology term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed using the DAVID database and KOBAS 3.0. STRING and Cytoscape software were used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and analyze modules of the PPI network. RESULTS A total of 71 hypomethylated/upregulated genes were significantly enriched in cell-cell adhesion and blood vessel development. KEGG pathway analysis highlighted p53 signaling and metabolic pathways. Five core genes in the PPI network were determined: CDH1, DDOST, CASP8, DHX15, and PTPRF. Additionally, 89 hypermethylated/downregulated genes were found. These genes were enriched mostly in cell adhesion and signal transduction. KEGG pathway analysis revealed enrichment in focal adhesion. The top 5 core genes in the PPI network were GNG4, ADCY9, NPY, ADRA2B, and PENK. We found most of the core genes were also significantly altered in the Cancer Genome Atlas database. CONCLUSIONS Abnormal methylated/expressed genes and key signaling pathways involved in BC were identified through integrated bioinformatics analysis. In the future, these genes may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targets in BC.

Czepczyński R, Wyszomirska A, Gryczyńska M, et al.
Cerebellar metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma detected with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy.
Endokrynol Pol. 2018; 69(1):24-27 [PubMed] Related Publications
INTRODUCTION: Distant metastases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) may lack the ability to concentrate radioiodine. In such cases, positive somatostatin receptor scintigraphy might be useful in demonstrating the expression of somatostatin receptors that are potential therapeutic targets. To date, only a few cerebellar metastases from PTC have been reported in the literature.
PATIENT FINDINGS: We present an 82-year-old female, in whom an asymptomatic cerebellar metastasis from PTC was diagnosed by means of Tc-99m-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy four years after the initial diagnosis. She was previously treated with total thyroidectomy and regional lymph node dissection, followed by three cycles of radioiodine therapy. Despite persistently elevated thyroglobulin, no specific radioiodine accumulation was found in the whole body post-treatment scan. Tc-99m-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC scintiscan revealed foci of increased tracer uptake in the lungs, cervical lymph nodes, and a single focus in the head. Thus, therapy with octreotide LAR was initiated. The patient died four months later due to disseminated PTC.
SUMMARY: In this paper, a patient with asymptomatic previously unknown non-iodine avid cerebellar metastasis of PTC diagnosed by means of scintigraphy using somatostatin analogue Tc-99m-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC is reported.
CONCLUSIONS: Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy might be useful in the visualisation of non-iodine avid PTC metastases and demonstrat-ing the expression of somatostatin receptors that are potential therapeutic targets.

Yamasaki A, Nakayama K, Imaizumi A, et al.
Liprin-α4 as a Possible New Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Cancer.
Anticancer Res. 2017; 37(12):6649-6654 [PubMed] Related Publications
BACKGROUND/AIM: In pancreatic cancer, where the microenvironment is extremely hypoxic, analyzing signal transduction under hypoxia is thought to be significantly important. By investigating microarray analysis of pancreatic cancer cells cultured under both normoxia and hypoxia, we found that the expression of leukocyte common antigen-related (LAR)-interacting protein (liprin)-α4 was extremely increased under hypoxia compared to under normoxia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, the biological significance of liprin-α4 in pancreatic cancer was investigated and whether liprin-α4 has potential as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer was estimated.
RESULTS: Suppression of liprin-α4 reduced proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of liprin-α4 also reduced invasiveness through the suppression of endothelial-mesenchymal transition. Stimulation by liprin-α4 was through phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways.
CONCLUSION: Liprin-α4 plays a pivotal role in inducing malignant phenotypes such as increased proliferation and invasion in pancreatic cancer, and that liprin-α4 could be a new effective therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Robles AJ, McCowen S, Cai S, et al.
Structure-Activity Relationships of New Natural Product-Based Diaryloxazoles with Selective Activity against Androgen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Cells.
J Med Chem. 2017; 60(22):9275-9289 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Targeted therapies for ER+/PR+ and HER2-amplified breast cancers have improved patient survival, but there are no therapies for triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) that lack expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR), or amplification or overexpression of HER2. Gene expression profiling of TNBC has identified molecular subtypes and representative cell lines. An extract of the Texas native plant Amyris texana was found to have selective activity against MDA-MB-453 cells, a model of the luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype of TNBC. Bioassay-guided fractionation identified two oxazole natural products with selective activity against this cell line. Conducted analog synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies provided analogs with more potent and selective activity against two LAR subtype cell line models, culminating in the discovery of compound 30 (CIDD-0067106). Lead compounds discovered have potent and selective antiproliferative activities, and mechanisms of action studies show they inhibit the activity of the mTORC1 pathway.

Tseng LM, Chiu JH, Liu CY, et al.
A comparison of the molecular subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer among non-Asian and Taiwanese women.
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2017; 163(2):241-254 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
BACKGROUND: "Precision medicine" is a concept that by utilizing modern molecular diagnostics, an effective therapy is accurately applied for each cancer patient to improve their survival rates. The treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a challenging issue. The aim of this study was to compare the molecular subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) between Taiwanese and Non-Asian women.
METHODS: GEO Datasets for non-Asian (12 groups, n = 1450) and Taiwanese (3 groups, n = 465) breast cancer, including 617 TNBC, were acquired, normalized and cluster analyzed. Then, using TNBC cell lines of different subtypes, namely, MDA-MB-468 (basal-like1, BL1), MDA-MB-231 (mesenchymal stem like, MSL), BT-549 (mesenchymal, M), MDA-MB-453 (luminal androgen receptor, LAR), and DU4475 (immunomodulatory, IM), real-time PCR in triplicate for 47 genes signatures were performed to validate the specificity of these subtypes.
RESULTS: The results showed that the percentage of TNBC subtypes in non-Asian women, namely, BL1, BL2, IM, M, MSL, and LAR was 13.56, 8.91, 16.80, 20.45, 8.30, and 11.13%, respectively. When data from Taiwanese were normalized and clustered, five TNBC subtypes, namely, BL (8.94%), IM (13.82%), M (22.76%), MSL (30.89%), and LAR (23.58%), were classified. Real-time PCR validated the specificity of these subtypes. Besides, the presence of interaction between IM- and MSL-subtypes suggests the involvement of tumor microenvironment in TNBC subtype classification.
CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that there exist different presentations between non-Asian and Taiwanese TNBC subtypes, which provides important information when selection of therapeutic targets or designs for clinical trials for TNBC patients.

Bhattacharya R, Banerjee K, Mukherjee N, et al.
From molecular insight to therapeutic strategy: The holistic approach for treating triple negative breast cancer.
Pathol Res Pract. 2017; 213(3):177-182 [PubMed] Related Publications
Aim of the present study was to analyze the molecular pathogenesis of TNBC, therapeutic practice, challenges, and future goals in treatment strategies. Based on the alterations of distinct pathways, Lehmann's subgroups of TNBCs were further categorized. Those with defective DNA damage repair and replication pathways, viz. Basal Like 1 & 2 (BL1, BL2) were found susceptible to DNA intercalating drugs while those with upregulated cell signalling & motility (mesenchymal (M), mesemchymal stem like (MSL)), cell survival (BL2, M, MSL), angiogenesis (BL2, MSL), T cell signalling (Immunomodulatory/IM) pathways required targeted therapies. Our Meta-analysis categorized 12 randomized previous trial cases, solely under the following drug regimens: [1] DNA destabilizers, [2] PARP inhibitors, [3] Microtubule stabilizers, [4] Angiogenesis inhibitors, [5] Antimetabolite, [6] T cell targeted therapy; as single or combinational therapy. Best therapeutic efficacies of DNA destabilizers with angiogenesis inhibitors in combination than monotherapy with either (OR: 5.011-7.286; p value<0.001) indicated a significant prevalence of BL1 type TNBCs in populations. Statistical significance with antimetabolites as combination therapy (OR: 2.343; p value: 0.018) and not with microtubule stabilizer (OR: 0.377) were observed. Thus, for best ORR in TNBC, personalized medicine should be the therapeutic choice for the clinicians.

Kurosawa G, Sugiura M, Hattori Y, et al.
Classification of 27 Tumor-Associated Antigens by Histochemical Analysis of 36 Freshly Resected Lung Cancer Tissues.
Int J Mol Sci. 2016; 17(11) [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
In previous studies, we identified 29 tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and isolated 488 human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically bind to one of the 29 TAAs. In the present study, we performed histochemical analysis of 36 freshly resected lung cancer tissues by using 60 mAbs against 27 TAAs. Comparison of the staining patterns of tumor cells, bronchial epithelial cells, and normal pulmonary alveolus cells and interalveolar septum allowed us to determine the type and location of cells that express target molecules, as well as the degree of expression. The patterns were classified into 7 categories. While multiple Abs were used against certain TAAs, the differences observed among them should be derived from differences in the binding activity and/or the epitope. Thus, such data indicate the versatility of respective clones as anti-cancer drugs. Although the information obtained was limited to the lung and bronchial tube, bronchial epithelial cells represent normal growing cells, and therefore, the data are informative. The results indicate that 9 of the 27 TAAs are suitable targets for therapeutic Abs. These 9 Ags include EGFR, HER2, TfR, and integrin α6β4. Based on our findings, a pharmaceutical company has started to develop anti-cancer drugs by using Abs to TfR and integrin α6β4. HGFR, PTP-LAR, CD147, CDCP1, and integrin αvβ3 are also appropriate targets for therapeutic purposes.

Hatem R, El Botty R, Chateau-Joubert S, et al.
Targeting mTOR pathway inhibits tumor growth in different molecular subtypes of triple-negative breast cancers.
Oncotarget. 2016; 7(30):48206-48219 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are characterized by frequent alterations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In this study, we analyzed PI3K pathway activation in 67 patient-derived xenografts (PDX) of breast cancer and investigated the anti-tumor activity of the mTOR inhibitor everolimus in 15 TNBC PDX with different expression and mutational status of PI3K pathway markers. Expression of the tumor suppressors PTEN and INPP4B was lost in 55% and 76% of TNBC PDX, respectively, while mutations in PIK3CA and AKT1 genes were rare. In 7 PDX treatment with everolimus resulted in a tumor growth inhibition higher than 50%, while 8 models were classified as low responder or resistant. Basal-like, LAR (Luminal AR), mesenchymal and HER2-enriched tumors were present in both responder and resistant groups, suggesting that tumor response to everolimus is not restricted to a specific TNBC subtype. Analysis of treated tumors showed a correlation between tumor response and post-treatment phosphorylation of AKT, increased in responder PDX, while PI3K pathway markers at baseline were not sufficient to predict everolimus response. In conclusion, targeting mTOR decreased tumor growth in 7 out of 15 TNBC PDX tested. Response to everolimus occurred in different TNBC subtypes and was associated with post-treatment increase of P-AKT.

Lehmann BD, Jovanović B, Chen X, et al.
Refinement of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes: Implications for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Selection.
PLoS One. 2016; 11(6):e0157368 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease that can be classified into distinct molecular subtypes by gene expression profiling. Considered a difficult-to-treat cancer, a fraction of TNBC patients benefit significantly from neoadjuvant chemotherapy and have far better overall survival. Outside of BRCA1/2 mutation status, biomarkers do not exist to identify patients most likely to respond to current chemotherapy; and, to date, no FDA-approved targeted therapies are available for TNBC patients. Previously, we developed an approach to identify six molecular subtypes TNBC (TNBCtype), with each subtype displaying unique ontologies and differential response to standard-of-care chemotherapy. Given the complexity of the varying histological landscape of tumor specimens, we used histopathological quantification and laser-capture microdissection to determine that transcripts in the previously described immunomodulatory (IM) and mesenchymal stem-like (MSL) subtypes were contributed from infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor-associated stromal cells, respectively. Therefore, we refined TNBC molecular subtypes from six (TNBCtype) into four (TNBCtype-4) tumor-specific subtypes (BL1, BL2, M and LAR) and demonstrate differences in diagnosis age, grade, local and distant disease progression and histopathology. Using five publicly available, neoadjuvant chemotherapy breast cancer gene expression datasets, we retrospectively evaluated chemotherapy response of over 300 TNBC patients from pretreatment biopsies subtyped using either the intrinsic (PAM50) or TNBCtype approaches. Combined analysis of TNBC patients demonstrated that TNBC subtypes significantly differ in response to similar neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 41% of BL1 patients achieving a pathological complete response compared to 18% for BL2 and 29% for LAR with 95% confidence intervals (CIs; [33, 51], [9, 28], [17, 41], respectively). Collectively, we provide pre-clinical data that could inform clinical trials designed to test the hypothesis that improved outcomes can be achieved for TNBC patients, if selection and combination of existing chemotherapies is directed by knowledge of molecular TNBC subtypes.

Robles AJ, Cai S, Cichewicz RH, Mooberry SL
Selective activity of deguelin identifies therapeutic targets for androgen receptor-positive breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2016; 157(3):475-88 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are aggressive malignancies with no effective targeted therapies. Recent gene expression profiling of these heterogeneous cancers and the classification of cell line models now allows for the identification of compounds with selective activities against molecular subtypes of TNBC. The natural product deguelin was found to have selective activity against MDA-MB-453 and SUM-185PE cell lines, which both model the luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype of TNBC. Deguelin potently inhibited proliferation of these cells with GI50 values of 30 and 61 nM, in MDA-MB-453 and SUM-185PE cells, respectively. Deguelin had exceptionally high selectivity, 197 to 566-fold, for these cell lines compared to cell lines representing other TNBC subtypes. Deguelin's mechanisms of action were investigated to determine how it produced these potent and selective effects. Our results show that deguelin has dual activities, inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling, and decreasing androgen receptor levels and nuclear localization. Based on these data, we hypothesized that the combination of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and the antiandrogen enzalutamide would have efficacy in LAR models. Rapamycin and enzalutamide showed additive effects in MDA-MB-453 cells, and both drugs had potent antitumor efficacy in a LAR xenograft model. These results suggest that the combination of antiandrogens and mTOR inhibitors might be an effective strategy for the treatment of androgen receptor-expressing TNBC.

Liu YR, Jiang YZ, Xu XE, et al.
Comprehensive transcriptome analysis identifies novel molecular subtypes and subtype-specific RNAs of triple-negative breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Res. 2016; 18(1):33 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly heterogeneous group of cancers, and molecular subtyping is necessary to better identify molecular-based therapies. While some classifiers have been established, no one has integrated the expression profiles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) into such subtyping criterions. Considering the emerging important role of lncRNAs in cellular processes, a novel classification integrating transcriptome profiles of both messenger RNA (mRNA) and lncRNA would help us better understand the heterogeneity of TNBC.
METHODS: Using human transcriptome microarrays, we analyzed the transcriptome profiles of 165 TNBC samples. We used k-means clustering and empirical cumulative distribution function to determine optimal number of TNBC subtypes. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway analyses were applied to determine the main function of the subtype-specific genes and pathways. We conducted co-expression network analyses to identify interactions between mRNAs and lncRNAs.
RESULTS: All of the 165 TNBC tumors were classified into four distinct clusters, including an immunomodulatory subtype (IM), a luminal androgen receptor subtype (LAR), a mesenchymal-like subtype (MES) and a basal-like and immune suppressed (BLIS) subtype. The IM subtype had high expressions of immune cell signaling and cytokine signaling genes. The LAR subtype was characterized by androgen receptor signaling. The MES subtype was enriched with growth factor signaling pathways. The BLIS subtype was characterized by down-regulation of immune response genes, activation of cell cycle, and DNA repair. Patients in this subtype experienced worse recurrence-free survival than others (log rank test, P = 0.045). Subtype-specific lncRNAs were identified, and their possible biological functions were predicted using co-expression network analyses.
CONCLUSIONS: We developed a novel TNBC classification system integrating the expression profiles of both mRNAs and lncRNAs and determined subtype-specific lncRNAs that are potential biomarkers and targets. If further validated in a larger population, our novel classification system could facilitate patient counseling and individualize treatment of TNBC.

Park J, Lee J, Choi C
Evaluation of drug-targetable genes by defining modes of abnormality in gene expression.
Sci Rep. 2015; 5:13576 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
In the post-genomic era, many researchers have taken a systematic approach to identifying abnormal genes associated with various diseases. However, the gold standard has not been established, and most of these abnormalities are difficult to be rehabilitated in real clinical settings. In addition to identifying abnormal genes, for a practical purpose, it is necessary to investigate abnormality diversity. In this context, this study is aimed to demonstrate simply restorable genes as useful drug targets. We devised the concept of "drug targetability" to evaluate several different modes of abnormal genes by predicting events after drug treatment. As a representative example, we applied our method to breast cancer. Computationally, PTPRF, PRKAR2B, MAP4K3, and RICTOR were calculated as highly drug-targetable genes for breast cancer. After knockdown of these top-ranked genes (i.e., high drug targetability) using siRNA, our predictions were validated by cell death and migration assays. Moreover, inhibition of RICTOR or PTPRF was expected to prolong lifespan of breast cancer patients according to patient information annotated in microarray data. We anticipate that our method can be widely applied to elaborate selection of novel drug targets, and, ultimately, to improve the efficacy of disease treatment.

Soulières D, Hirsch FR, Shepherd FA, et al.
PTPRF Expression as a Potential Prognostic/Predictive Marker for Treatment with Erlotinib in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.
J Thorac Oncol. 2015; 10(9):1364-1369 [PubMed] Related Publications
INTRODUCTION: EGFR mutations and anaplastic lymphoma kinase rearrangements are, to date, the only approved biomarkers to select treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is considerable interest in identifying other predictive markers. The PTPRF gene has been suggested as a marker of interest in NSCLC and other tumor types.
METHODS: This hypothesis-generating retrospective analysis examined data from two studies of erlotinib in NSCLC, Marker Identification Trial (MERIT; n = 102) and Sequential Tarceva in Unresectable NSCLC (SATURN; n = 262), to determine whether PTPRF expression was prognostic and/or predictive of patient outcomes. Exploratory analyses were conducted using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction on existing formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, to assess gene expression levels, including PTPRF. High versus low levels of expression were dichotomized using the median with B2M as a control comparator. Progression-free survival and overall survival were then compared for patients with high versus low levels of PTPRF in the two studies.
RESULTS: PTPRF expression was found to be prognostic for shorter overall survival but was also significantly predictive of improved survival with erlotinib versus placebo in SATURN (hazard ratio, 0.45 [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.30-0.69] in PTPRF high versus 0.96 [95% CI, 0.62-1.48] in PTPRF low; interaction p = 0.02), even in the EGFR wild-type subpopulation (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.44 [95% CI, 0.29-0.68] versus 0.96 [95% CI, 0.62-1.48]; interaction p = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: PTPRF may have value as a predictive marker to identify which patients can obtain the greatest benefit from erlotinib in the post-first-line setting. Further research is warranted to determine the potential value of this marker in clinical decision-making.

Sumantran VN, Mishra P, Sudhakar N
Microarray analysis of differentially expressed genes regulating lipid metabolism during melanoma progression.
Indian J Biochem Biophys. 2015; 52(2):125-31 [PubMed] Related Publications
A new hallmark of cancer involves acquisition of a lipogenic phenotype which promotes tumorigenesis. Little is known about lipid metabolism in melanomas. Therefore, we used BRB (Biometrics Research Branch) class comparison tool with multivariate analysis to identify differentially expressed genes in human cutaneous melanomas, compared with benign nevi and normal skin derived from the microarray dataset (GDS1375). The methods were validated by identifying known melanoma biomarkers (CITED1, FGFR2, PTPRF, LICAM, SPP1 and PHACTR1) in our results. Eighteen genes regulating metabolism of fatty acids, lipid second messengers and gangliosides were 2-9 fold upregulated in melanomas of GDS-1375. Out of the 18 genes, 13 were confirmed by KEGG pathway analysis and 10 were also significantly upregulated in human melanoma cell lines of NCI-60 Cell Miner database. Results showed that melanomas upregulated PPARGC1A transcription factor and its target genes regulating synthesis of fatty acids (SCD) and complex lipids (FABP3 and ACSL3). Melanoma also upregulated genes which prevented lipotoxicity (CPT2 and ACOT7) and regulated lipid second messengers, such as phosphatidic acid (AGPAT-4, PLD3) and inositol triphosphate (ITPKB, ITPR3). Genes for synthesis of pro-tumorigenic GM3 and GD3 gangliosides (UGCG, HEXA, ST3GAL5 and ST8SIA1) were also upregulated in melanoma. Overall, the microarray analysis of GDS-1375 dataset indicated that melanomas can become lipogenic by upregulating genes, leading to increase in fatty acid metabolism, metabolism of specific lipid second messengers, and ganglioside synthesis.

Kiflemariam S, Ljungström V, Pontén F, Sjöblom T
Tumor vessel up-regulation of INSR revealed by single-cell expression analysis of the tyrosine kinome and phosphatome in human cancers.
Am J Pathol. 2015; 185(6):1600-9 [PubMed] Related Publications
The tyrosine kinome and phosphatome harbor oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and important regulators of angiogenesis and tumor stroma formation. To provide a better understanding of their potential roles in cancer, we analyzed the expression of 85 tyrosine kinases and 42 tyrosine phosphatases by in situ hybridization 48 human normal and 24 tumor tissue specimens. Nine-tenths of the assessed transcripts had tumor cell expression concordant with expression array databases. Further, pan-cancer expression of AATK, PTPRK, and PTPRU and expression of PTPRS in a subset of tumors were observed. To demonstrate tumor subcompartment resolution, we validated the predicted tumor stroma-specific markers HTRA1, HTRA3, MXRA5, MXRA8, and SERPING1 in situ. In addition to known vascular and stromal markers such as PDGFRB, we observed stromal expression of PTK6 and TNS1 and vascular expression of INSR, PTPRF, PTPRG, PTPRU, and TNS1, of which INSR emerged as a tumor-specific vessel marker. This study demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale analyses to chart the transcriptome in situ in human cancers and their ability to identify novel cancer biomarkers.

Barton VN, D'Amato NC, Gordon MA, et al.
Multiple molecular subtypes of triple-negative breast cancer critically rely on androgen receptor and respond to enzalutamide in vivo.
Mol Cancer Ther. 2015; 14(3):769-78 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the lowest 5-year survival rate of invasive breast carcinomas, and currently there are no approved targeted therapies for this aggressive form of the disease. The androgen receptor (AR) is expressed in up to one third of TNBC and we find that all AR(+) TNBC primary tumors tested display nuclear localization of AR, indicative of transcriptionally active receptors. While AR is most abundant in the "luminal AR (LAR)" molecular subtype of TNBC, here, for the first time, we use both the new-generation anti-androgen enzalutamide and AR knockdown to demonstrate that the other non-LAR molecular subtypes of TNBC are critically dependent on AR protein. Indeed, AR inhibition significantly reduces baseline proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration, and invasion and increases apoptosis in four TNBC lines (SUM159PT, HCC1806, BT549, and MDA-MB-231), representing three non-LAR TNBC molecular subtypes (mesenchymal-like, mesenchymal stem-like, and basal-like 2). In vivo, enzalutamide significantly decreases viability of SUM159PT and HCC1806 xenografts. Furthermore, mechanistic analysis reveals that AR activation upregulates secretion of the EGFR ligand amphiregulin (AREG), an effect abrogated by enzalutamide in vitro and in vivo. Exogenous AREG partially rescues the effects of AR knockdown on proliferation, migration, and invasion, demonstrating that upregulation of AREG is one mechanism by which AR influences tumorigenicity. Together, our findings indicate that non-LAR subtypes of TNBC are AR dependent and, moreover, that enzalutamide is a promising targeted therapy for multiple molecular subtypes of AR(+) TNBC.

Liu PJ, Chen CD, Wang CL, et al.
In-depth proteomic analysis of six types of exudative pleural effusions for nonsmall cell lung cancer biomarker discovery.
Mol Cell Proteomics. 2015; 14(4):917-32 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Pleural effusion (PE), a tumor-proximal body fluid, may be a promising source for biomarker discovery in human cancers. Because a variety of pathological conditions can lead to PE, characterization of the relative PE proteomic profiles from different types of PEs would accelerate discovery of potential PE biomarkers specifically used to diagnose pulmonary disorders. Using quantitative proteomic approaches, we identified 772 nonredundant proteins from six types of exudative PEs, including three malignant PEs (MPE, from lung, breast, and gastric cancers), one lung cancer paramalignant PE, and two benign diseases (tuberculosis and pneumonia). Spectral counting was utilized to semiquantify PE protein levels. Principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and Gene Ontology of cellular process analyses revealed differential levels and functional profiling of proteins in each type of PE. We identified 30 candidate proteins with twofold higher levels (q<0.05) in lung cancer MPEs than in the two benign PEs. Three potential markers, MET, DPP4, and PTPRF, were further verified by ELISA using 345 PE samples. The protein levels of these potential biomarkers were significantly higher in lung cancer MPE than in benign diseases or lung cancer paramalignant PE. The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve for three combined biomarkers in discriminating lung cancer MPE from benign diseases was 0.903. We also observed that the PE protein levels were more clearly discriminated in effusions in which the cytological examination was positive and that they would be useful in rescuing the false negative of cytological examination in diagnosis of nonsmall cell lung cancer-MPE. Western blotting analysis further demonstrated that MET overexpression in lung cancer cells would contribute to the elevation of soluble MET in MPE. Our results collectively demonstrate the utility of label-free quantitative proteomic approaches in establishing differential PE proteomes and provide a new database of proteins that can be used to facilitate identification of pulmonary disorder-related biomarkers.

Rodrigues MF, de Oliveira Rodini C, de Aquino Xavier FC, et al.
PROX1 gene is differentially expressed in oral cancer and reduces cellular proliferation.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2014; 93(28):e192 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Homeobox genes are a family of transcription factors that play a pivotal role in embryogenesis. Prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor gene or oncogene in various types of cancer, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We have previously identified PROX1 as a downregulated gene in OSCC. The aim of this study is to clarify the underlying mechanism by which PROX1 regulates tumorigenicity of OSCC cells. PROX1 mRNA and protein expression levels were first investigated in 40 samples of OSCC and in nontumor margins. Methylation and amplification analysis was also performed to assess the epigenetic and genetic mechanisms involved in controlling PROX1 expression. OSCC cell line SCC9 was also transfected to stably express the PROX1 gene. Next, SCC9-PROX1-overexpressing cells and controls were subjected to proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion assays in vitro. OSCC samples showed reduced PROX1 expression levels compared with nontumor margins. PROX1 amplification was associated with better overall survival. PROX1 overexpression reduces cell proliferation and downregulates cyclin D1. PROX1-overexpressing cells also exhibited reduced CK18 and CK19 expression and transcriptionally altered the expression of WISP3, GATA3, NOTCH1, and E2F1. Our results suggest that PROX1 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in oral carcinogenesis.

Burstein MD, Tsimelzon A, Poage GM, et al.
Comprehensive genomic analysis identifies novel subtypes and targets of triple-negative breast cancer.
Clin Cancer Res. 2015; 21(7):1688-98 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
PURPOSE: Genomic profiling studies suggest that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease. In this study, we sought to define TNBC subtypes and identify subtype-specific markers and targets.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: RNA and DNA profiling analyses were conducted on 198 TNBC tumors [estrogen receptor (ER) negativity defined as Allred scale value ≤ 2] with >50% cellularity (discovery set: n = 84; validation set: n = 114) collected at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, TX). An external dataset of seven publically accessible TNBC studies was used to confirm results. DNA copy number, disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were analyzed independently using these datasets.
RESULTS: We identified and confirmed four distinct TNBC subtypes: (i) luminal androgen receptor (AR; LAR), (ii) mesenchymal (MES), (iii) basal-like immunosuppressed (BLIS), and (iv) basal-like immune-activated (BLIA). Of these, prognosis is worst for BLIS tumors and best for BLIA tumors for both DFS (log-rank test: P = 0.042 and 0.041, respectively) and DSS (log-rank test: P = 0.039 and 0.029, respectively). DNA copy number analysis produced two major groups (LAR and MES/BLIS/BLIA) and suggested that gene amplification drives gene expression in some cases [FGFR2 (BLIS)]. Putative subtype-specific targets were identified: (i) LAR: androgen receptor and the cell surface mucin MUC1, (ii) MES: growth factor receptors [platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor A; c-Kit], (iii) BLIS: an immunosuppressing molecule (VTCN1), and (iv) BLIA: Stat signal transduction molecules and cytokines.
CONCLUSION: There are four stable TNBC subtypes characterized by the expression of distinct molecular profiles that have distinct prognoses. These studies identify novel subtype-specific targets that can be targeted in the future for the effective treatment of TNBCs.

Gonzalez B, Vargas G, Ramirez C, et al.
Cytoplasmic expression of SSTR2 and 5 by immunohistochemistry and by RT/PCR is not associated with the pharmacological response to octreotide.
Endocrinol Nutr. 2014; 61(10):523-30 [PubMed] Related Publications
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes 2 and 5 (SSTR 2 and 5) by RT/PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in GH-secreting adenomas, seeking correlations with response to octreotide.
METHODS: SSTR2 and 5 expression was tested by IHC (n=37), RT/PCR (n=36) or both (n=13) in GH-secreting adenomas from 60 patients with acromegaly who had undergone pituitary surgery; 36 had been treated preoperatively with octreotide LAR for 3-6 months, and were categorized as responders (achievement of GH <2.5ng/mL and a normal age-adjusted IGF-1), partial responders (GH and IGF-1 reduction >50% and >30%, respectively) or non-responders. IHC was performed on a tissue microarray using specific antibodies directed to the carboxyl terminus of SSTR2 and 5.
RESULTS: SSTR5 was the predominantly expressed receptor subtype by both IHC and RT/PCR in all tumors tested, regardless of whether they came from octreotide-naïve, octreotide-responsive, or octreotide-resistant patients. Immunostaining was concentrated in the cytoplasm. Neither SSTR2 nor SSTR5 expression correlated with baseline or post-octreotide GH or IGF-1 levels or tumor volume by either method. The agreement rate between RT/PCR and IHC was 77% in all 13 adenomas in which both methods were used.
CONCLUSION: Expression of these receptors does not guarantee an adequate response to somatostatin analogs; other functional aspects of this interaction, such as receptor homo- and heterodimerization, and the resulting signaling cascade, probably play a role in determining whether a patient will respond or not to these agents.

Zhang S, Liu Y, Liu Z, et al.
Transcriptome profiling of a multiple recurrent muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder by deep sequencing.
PLoS One. 2014; 9(3):e91466 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) is one of the commonly diagnosed cancers in the world. The UCB has the highest rate of recurrence of any malignancy. A genome-wide screening of transcriptome dysregulation between cancer and normal tissue would provide insight into the molecular basis of UCB recurrence and is a key step to discovering biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targets. Compared with microarray technology, which is commonly used to identify expression level changes, the recently developed RNA-seq technique has the ability to detect other abnormal regulations in the cancer transcriptome, such as alternative splicing. In this study, we performed high-throughput transcriptome sequencing at ∼50× coverage on a recurrent muscle-invasive cisplatin-resistance UCB tissue and the adjacent non-tumor tissue. The results revealed cancer-specific differentially expressed genes between the tumor and non-tumor tissue enriched in the cell adhesion molecules, focal adhesion and ECM-receptor interaction pathway. Five dysregulated genes, including CDH1, VEGFA, PTPRF, CLDN7, and MMP2 were confirmed by Real time qPCR in the sequencing samples and the additional eleven samples. Our data revealed that more than three hundred genes showed differential splicing patterns between tumor tissue and non-tumor tissue. Among these genes, we filtered 24 cancer-associated alternative splicing genes with differential exon usage. The findings from RNA-Seq were validated by Real time qPCR for CD44, PDGFA, NUMB, and LPHN2. This study provides a comprehensive survey of the UCB transcriptome, which provides better insight into the complexity of regulatory changes during recurrence and metastasis.

Bera R, Chiou CY, Yu MC, et al.
Functional genomics identified a novel protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type F-mediated growth inhibition in hepatocarcinogenesis.
Hepatology. 2014; 59(6):2238-50 [PubMed] Related Publications
UNLABELLED: It is unclear how proliferating cells elicit suppression on cell proliferation and how cancer cells evade this growth suppression. Using a loss-of-function screening of the human kinome and phosphatome to identify genes suppressing tumor initiation in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we identified 19 genes and characterized one of the top-scoring tumor suppressor candidates, protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type F (PTPRF). We found that PTPRF was induced during cell proliferation by cell-cell contact. Ectopic expression of wild-type PTPRF, but not the phosphatase-inactive mutant, suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation in soft-agar assays. In contrast, PTPRF silencing led to cell hyperproliferation, enhanced tumor colony formation in soft agar, and increased xenograft tumor growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, PTPRF silencing showed aberrant ERK-dependent signaling including the phosphorylation/stabilization of v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC) through the direct activation of v-src avian sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (SRC) and suppression of PP2A. This PTPRF-mediated growth suppression during cell proliferation functioned independently of the Hippo-Yap pathway. Clinically, PTPRF was down-regulated in 42% HCC (37/89), 67% gastric cancer (27/40), and 100% colorectal cancer (40/40). PTPRF up-regulation was found in 24% HCC (21/89) and associated with better clinical outcomes.
CONCLUSION: A novel PTPRF-mediated growth suppression pathway was identified by way of a functional genomics screening in human hepatoma cells. Induction of PTPRF by cell-cell contact during cell proliferation quenched the activated ERK-dependent proliferation signaling to prevent cell hyperproliferation and tumor initiation. PTPRF down-regulation in HCC facilitated tumor development. Our findings shed light on how cancer cells can evade growth suppression and open a new avenue for future development of anticancer therapies.

Du WW, Fang L, Li M, et al.
MicroRNA miR-24 enhances tumor invasion and metastasis by targeting PTPN9 and PTPRF to promote EGF signaling.
J Cell Sci. 2013; 126(Pt 6):1440-53 [PubMed] Related Publications
MicroRNAs are known to play regulatory roles in gene expression associated with cancer development. We analyzed levels of the microRNA miR-24 in patients with breast carcinoma and found that miR-24 was higher in breast carcinoma samples than in benign breast tissues. We generated constructs expressing miR-24 and studied its functions using both in vitro and in vivo techniques. We found that the ectopic expression of miR-24 promoted breast cancer cell invasion and migration. In vivo experiments in mice indicated that the expression of miR-24 enhanced tumor growth, invasion into local tissues, metastasis to lung tissues and decreased overall mouse survival. In the miR-24-expressing cells and tumors, EGFR was highly phosphorylated, whereas expression of the phosphatases tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 9 (PTPN9) and receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase F (PTPRF) were repressed. We confirmed that miR-24 could directly target both PTPN9 and PTPRF. Consistent with this, we found that the levels of phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (pEGFR) were higher whereas the levels of PTPN9 and PTPRF were lower in the patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. Ectopic expression of PTPN9 and PTPRF decreased pEGFR levels, cell invasion, migration and tumor metastasis. Furthermore, we found that MMP2, MMP11, pErk, and ADAM15 were upregulated, whereas TIMP2 was downregulated; all of which supported the roles of miR-24 in tumor invasion and metastasis. Our results suggest that miR-24 plays a key role in breast cancer invasion and metastasis. miR-24 could potentially be a target for cancer intervention.

DaSilva JO, Amorino GP, Casarez EV, et al.
Neuroendocrine-derived peptides promote prostate cancer cell survival through activation of IGF-1R signaling.
Prostate. 2013; 73(8):801-12 [PubMed] Article available free on PMC after 01/05/2020 Related Publications
BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine (NE) cells promote the progression of prostate cancer to a castration-resistant state through the production of paracrine growth factors. We have demonstrated this principle using in vitro and in vivo proliferative endpoints; however, the contributions of NE-derived pro-survival factors and anti-apoptosis to this phenomenon have not been thoroughly investigated.
METHODS: Here, we utilized conditioned-medium (CM) from LNCaP cells, engineered to undergo NE differentiation, and examined its effects on PC3 and LNCaP cell survival.
RESULTS: Statistically significant changes in clonogenic survival, Annexin V staining, PARP cleavage and trypan blue positivity of approximately twofold were observed in the presence of NE-derived CM relative to control-CM for both LNCaP and PC3 cells. These changes were partially abrogated by antagonists of the neuropeptides neurotensin, bombesin, and PTHrP. Selective inhibitors of IGF-1R, EGFR or Src caused significant and nearly complete blockade of prostate cancer cell survival due to NE secretions. Similar increases in cell survival were observed for LNCaP or PC3 cells treated with NE-derived medium in the presence of docetaxel. Increased phosphorylation of IGF-1R, following treatment with NE-derived medium, was accompanied by decreased protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type F (PTPRF) mRNA, and protein levels. Overexpression of PTPRF decreased cell survival, the amplitude and duration of IGF-1R phosphorylation, and enhanced PARP cleavage in the presence of NE-derived medium.
CONCLUSIONS: These data support the hypothesis that NE-derived factors act upon prostate cancer cells to stimulate pro-survival signaling and describe a novel mechanism of cross-talk between NE-derived factors and IGF-1R, mediated in part by PTPRF.

Fernández-Martos C, Nogué M, Cejas P, et al.
The role of capecitabine in locally advanced rectal cancer treatment: an update.
Drugs. 2012; 72(8):1057-73 [PubMed] Related Publications
Preoperative infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and concurrent radiation therapy (RT) followed by total mesorectal surgery is the current standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (LAR). When compared with postoperative 5-FU-based chemoradiation, this strategy is associated with significantly lower rates of local relapse, lower toxicity and better compliance. Capecitabine is a rationally designed oral prodrug that is converted into 5-FU by intracellular thymidine phosphorylase. Substitution of infusional 5-FU with capecitabine is an attractive option that provides a more convenient administration schedule and, possibly, increased efficacy. Indeed, incorporation of capecitabine in combined modality neoadjuvant therapy for LAR has been under intense investigation during the last 10 years. Phase I and II clinical trials showed that a regimen consisting of capecitabine 825mg/m(2) twice daily for 7 days/week continuous oral administration in combination with RT is an active and well tolerated regimen, thereby being the preferred concurrent regimen. The definitive demonstration that efficacy of capecitabine/RT is similar to 5-FU/RT has been provided by the NSABP-R-04 and the German Margit trials. One approach to improve outcomes in rectal cancer is to deliver a second RT-sensitizing drug with effective systemic activity. Oxaliplatin and irinotecan are therefore good candidates. However, two phase III trials demonstrated that incorporation of oxaliplatin to capecitabine with RT did not improve early outcomes and, by contrast, increased toxicity. Capecitabine has also been combined with irinotecan. This regimen showed encouraging results in phase I and II clinical trials, which led to an ongoing phase III clinical trial. New strategies with induction chemotherapy with or without chemoradiation prior to surgery are currently under investigation. Whether or not capecitabine has a role in this setting is being investigated in ongoing trials. Incorporation of agents directed towards new targets, such as anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies or antiangiogenic agents, in combination preoperative regimens, is being hampered by results of early trials in which efficacy outcomes with cetuximab were poor and an excessive rate of surgical complications with bevacizumab was observed. The lack of improvements in efficacy with the addition of cetuximab or bevacizumab in the adjuvant treatment of colon cancer led to concerns about further development of these agents in rectal cancer. The role of capecitabine in the postoperative adjuvant setting is the aim of the ongoing Dutch SCRIPT trial. The prediction of response associated with capecitabine has been based on expression of thymidylate synthase and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, as well as on gene expression arrays. All these procedures require further validation and should be considered as investigational. In conclusion, capecitabine can safely and effectively replace intravenous continuous infusion of 5-FU in the preoperative chemoradiation setting for rectal cancer management. The addition of other new antineoplastic agents to a fluoropyrimidine-based regimen remains investigational.

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