The let-7 microRNA binding site variant in KRAS as a predictive biomarker for head and neck cancer patients with lymph node metastasis.

Background: The let-7 family of microRNAs regulate multiple oncogenes including the KRAS gene and has been shown to play a critical role in carcinogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate polymorphic alterations of the let-7 miRNA binding site (rs61764370) in the 3'UTR region of the KRAS gene as a predictive biomarker for head and neck cancer (HNC) and to evaluate its association with clinicopathological parameters.

Material And Methods: The frequency of the KRAS-LCS6 variant in 216 Turkish HNC' patients and 85 healthy individuals were evaluated.

No Tumor Suppressor Role for in Prostate Cancer.

To elucidate the pathogenesis of prostate diseases, following analysis, the gene was selected for further investigation. The gene has been associated with poor prognosis and is frequently mutated in different types of cancers. In this study, 50 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 57 prostate cancer (PCa) tissues, including matched normal tissue for the patients, were analyzed by qRT-PCR and DNA sequencing for expression and the mutation profile, respectively.

ZNF703 is an important player in head and neck cancer.

Objectives: Despite advances in treatment, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains difficult to treat and the overall survival rate has only modestly improved over the past years. Therefore, there is a need to understand the molecular mechanism of HNSCC. Zinc finger protein 703 (ZNF703) is an oncogenic transcription factor, and ZNF703 gene expression is altered in many cancers as a result of chromosome 8p12 amplification.

Detection of RB1 Gene Copy Number Variations Using a Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification Method.

Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is based on simultaneous multiplex PCR of specific probes that hybridize to multiple different target DNA regions. The method can identify copy number changes, gross gene rearrangements, methylation patterns or even point mutations. MLPA has been a reliable approach to identify copy number changes in the clinical and research settings and is widely used for the screening and investigation of copy number variations and genomic aberrations of interest in various diseases.

The EMSY Gene Collaborates with CCND1 in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinogenesis.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. The main risk factor is smoking but the risk is also associated with various genetic and epigenetic components in addition to environmental factors. Increases in the gene copy numbers due to chromosomal amplifications constitute a common mechanism for oncogene activation.

ZNF703 Overexpression may act as an oncogene in non-small cell lung cancer.

Despite therapeutic advances, lung cancer remains one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The ZNF703 gene has been identified as the driver of the 8p11-12 region and its amplification or overexpression has been associated with several types of cancers. It has also been shown that ZNF703 overexpression can activate the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Copy number profiling of tumor suppressor genes in head and neck cancer.

Background: Sensitive and reliable new biomarkers are needed in head and neck cancer to predict the outcome and for therapy that is more effective. Copy number alterations are frequent and play a critical role in cancer.

Methods: Copy number alterations of 24 tumor suppressor genes in head and neck cancer were analyzed simultaneously in matched tumor and normal samples from 93 patients using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).

Analysıs of gene copy number changes ın head and neck cancer.

Objective: Chromosomal alterations and copy number changes are frequent events in tumors, leading to amplification of focal regions containing several oncogenes. Gains and losses of several regions have been reported in head and neck cancer (HNC) but the copy number changes of the individual genes located in these regions have not been analyzed so far. In this study we aimed to analyze the copy number variations in patients with HNC.

MicroRNA Expression Profiles in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Benign Thyroid Nodules and Healthy Controls.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of short endogenous non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in many biological processes, including proliferation, differentiation, stress response and apoptosis. In this study we analyzed a set of seven miRNA molecules in sera of patients with papillary thyroid cancer, multinodular goiter and healthy controls to identify miRNA molecules that may have utility as markers for PTC. MiR-21 serum levels in the preoperative PTC and MG groups were significantly higher than the control group.

Analysis of circulating microRNAs during adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with luminal A breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a complex disease displaying different profiles involving genetic as well as epigenetic factors. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Recent studies demonstrated that miRNAs may display great potential for the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Global quantification of heterochromatin-associated histone methylations in cell lines with differential sensitivity to ionizing radiation.

Histone modifications are involved in the DNA damage response (DDR). Here, by utilizing an ELISA immunoassay we assessed the methylation at H3K9 (H3K9me2 and H3K9me3) in two cell lines with differential sensitivity to radiation-induced apoptosis, HeLa (sensitive) and MCF-7 (resistant). We found that DNA damage induction by γ-irradiation leads to considerable accumulation (up to 5-fold) of H3K9me2 and H3K9me3, but not of H4K20me3 (control modification) in MCF-7 cells (p<0.

Exosomal lncRNA-p21 levels may help to distinguish prostate cancer from benign disease.

Exosomes are membranous vesicles containing various biomolecules including lncRNAs which are involved in cellular communication and are secreted from many cells including cancer cells. In our study, investigated the exosomal GAS5 and lincRNA-p21 lncRNA levels in urine samples from 30 patients with prostate cancer (PCa) and 49 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. Quantification of lncRNA molecules was performed by real-time PCR.

Assessment of circulating serum DNA integrity in colorectal cancer patients.

Unlabelled: Background /Aim: Studies evaluating the integrity of cell-fee DNA (cfDNA) in colorectal cancer (CRC) have led to inconsistent results. Herein, we analyzed the utility of two different DNA integrity indexes (ACTB(384)/ACTB(106) and ALU(247)/ALU(115)) to assess cfDNA fragmentation in Turkish CRC patients. The correlation of circulating nucleosomes (cNUC) with the fragment sizes was also evaluated.

LncRNAs and neoplasia.

Long noncoding RNAs are emerging as new mediators of tumorigenesis by virtue of their various functions and their capacity to induce different mechanisms as a result of their wide spectrum of interactions. They play critical roles in a broad range of cellular processes including regulation of gene expression, imprinting, chromatin modification, transcription and posttranslational processing. Expression and activity of lncRNAs are deregulated in several types of human cancer.

Androgen Stimulation of PCA3 and miR-141 and Their Release from Prostate Cancer Cells.

Objective: Prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) and microRNA-141 (miR-141) are emerging molecules in prostate cancer (PCa) pathogenesis and have been shown to be involved in androgen signaling. In this original research, we designed an experimental cell model with androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells to comparatively assess the extent of androgen responsiveness of PCA3-mRNA and miR-141 along with prostate specific antigen (PSA)mRNA and their release into culture medium. These molecules were also measured in the plasma of the patients with early PCa which is considered to be analogous to androgenresponsive cells.

Amplification of chromosome 8 genes in lung cancer.

Chromosomal alterations are frequent events in lung carcinogenesis and usually display regions of focal amplification containing several overexpressed oncogenes. Although gains and losses of chromosomal loci have been reported copy number changes of the individual genes have not been analyzed in lung cancer. In this study 22 genes were analyzed by MLPA in tumors and matched normal tissue samples from 82 patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Novel mutations and role of the LKB1 gene as a tumor suppressor in renal cell carcinoma.

The tumor suppressor LKB1 gene is a master kinase and inhibits mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and AMPK-related kinases. LKB1 is a critical intermediate in the mTOR signaling pathway, and mutations of the LKB1 gene have been implicated in the development of different tumor types. Recent evidence indicates that LKB1 alterations contribute to cancer progression and metastasis by modulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production.

Abundant circulating microRNAs in breast cancer patients fluctuate considerably during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Previous studies have revealed the aberrant expression of a number of microRNAs (miRNA/miRs) in the blood circulation of patients with breast cancer (BC). The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on the levels of a panel of BC-associated miRNAs, which are at relatively low (let-7, miR-10b, miR-34, miR-155, miR-200c and miR-205) or abundant (miR-21, miR-195 and miR-221) levels in the circulation. Patients with primary operable or locally advanced BC were enrolled in the study.

Long non-coding RNAs with low expression levels in cells are enriched in secreted exosomes.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in regulating chromatin modifications, gene transcription, mRNA translation, and protein function. We recently reported a high variation in the basal expression levels of a panel of lncRNAs in HeLa and MCF-7 cells and their differential response to DNA damage induction. Here, we hypothesized that lncRNA molecules with different cellular expression may have a differential abundance in secreted exosomes, and their exosome levels would reflect cellular response to DNA damage.

miR-141 and miR-375 induction and release are different from PSA mRNA and PCA3 upon androgen stimulation of LNCaP cells.

Recent studies have demonstrated the differential expression of miR-141 and miR-375 in circulation of patients with advanced/metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this study was to investigate the regulation of miR-141 and miR-375 by androgens and their release into the incubation medium in relation to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA and prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3). Plasma levels of these molecules were measured in a small cohort of patients with localized PCa.

Investigation of circulating lncRNAs in B-cell neoplasms.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) which are longer than 200 base pairs in length, play an important role in cellular machinery. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma (MM) are neoplasms of B-cells. In our study we aimed to investigate circulating lncRNA levels of CLL and MM patients.

LKB1 downregulation may be independent of promoter methylation or FOXO3 expression in head and neck cancer.

The serine/threonine kinase liver kinase B 1 (LKB1) is a multifunctional protein and has been associated with various cancer types. Although the tumor suppressor function of LKB1 is attributed mainly to its ability to phosphorylate directly different adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinases, its regulation is still poorly understood. More recently, it has been shown that LKB1 expression can be regulated by forkhead box O transcription factors via cis-acting elements, which are found in the promoter region of the LKB1 gene.

Promoter and histone methylation and p16(INK4A) gene expression in colon cancer.

The inactivation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16(INK4A) gene by hypermethylation is observed in numerous types of cancer. New findings indicate that DNA and histone methylation act in concert in gene silencing. In this study, we investigated the methylation status of the p16(INK4A) gene promoter and the histone 3 lysine 9 residue in the tumors and matched normal tissue samples from patients with colorectal cancer and analyzed their association with gene expression.