Characterizing and forecasting neoantigens-resulting from MUC mutations in COAD.

Background: The treatment for colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) faces challenges in terms of immunotherapy effectiveness due to multiple factors. Because of the high tumor specificity and immunogenicity, neoantigen has been considered a pivotal target for cancer immunotherapy. Therefore, this study aims to identify and predict the potential tumor antigens of MUC somatic mutations (MUCmut) in COAD.

Identification and validation of ubiquitin-proteasome system related genes as a prognostic signature for papillary renal cell carcinoma.

Unlabelled: Dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) pathway greatly affects uncontrolled proliferation, genomic instability, and carcinogenesis, particularly in those with renal papillary cell carcinoma (PRCC). However, there is little information at the molecular level about the full link between changes in the genes involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and PRCC.

Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GeneCards databases were utilized to find the clinical data and gene expression patterns of patients with PRCC.

An integrative pan-cancer analysis revealing the difference in small ring finger family of SCF E3 ubiquitin ligases.

Background: The SCF (Skp1-cullin-F-box proteins) complex is the largest family of E3 ubiquitin ligases that mediate multiple specific substrate proteins degradation. Two ring-finger family members RBX1/ROC1 and RBX2/RNF7/SAG are small molecular proteins necessary for ubiquitin ligation activity of the multimeric SCF complex. Accumulating evidence indicated the involvement of RBX proteins in the pathogenesis and development of cancers, but no research using pan-cancer analysis for evaluating their difference has been directed previously.

Acetylation and Deacetylation of DNA Repair Proteins in Cancers.

Hundreds of DNA repair proteins coordinate together to remove the diverse damages for ensuring the genomic integrity and stability. The repair system is an extensive network mainly encompassing cell cycle arrest, chromatin remodeling, various repair pathways, and new DNA fragment synthesis. Acetylation on DNA repair proteins is a dynamic epigenetic modification orchestrated by lysine acetyltransferases (HATs) and lysine deacetylases (HDACs), which dramatically affects the protein functions through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of DNA binding ability, protein activity, post-translational modification (PTM) crosstalk, and protein-protein interaction.

JAM3 functions as a novel tumor suppressor and is inactivated by DNA methylation in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: JAM3, an adhesion and transmigration regulatory element, is abundantly expressed in intestinal epithelial cells. However, its expression and function in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. In this study, we explored its epigenetic mechanism and biological role in CRC.

Plasma microRNA alterations between EGFR-activating mutational NSCLC patients with and without primary resistance to TKI.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have obtained excellent therapeutic effects against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring activating EGFR mutations. However, some patients have exhibited primary resistance which becomes a major obstacle in effective treatment of NSCLC. The mechanisms of EGFR-TKIs resistance involved are still poorly understood.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of cyclin D1 amplification in patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

Purpose: Cyclin D1 plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and the regulation of the G1/S transition in the cell cycle. The relationship between cyclin D1 amplification and clinicopathological parameters in patients with breast cancer remains controversial and its impact on survival outcome is not completely clear. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the associations between cyclin D1 gene amplification and certain clinicopathological characteristics and the prognosis in breast cancer.

PCDH18 is frequently inactivated by promoter methylation in colorectal cancer.

Protocadherin18 (PCDH18) was found to be preferentially methylated and inactivated in colorectal cancer (CRC) using bioinformatics tools. However, its biologic role in tumorgenesis remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to elucidate its epigenetic regulation and biological functions in CRC.

Clinical verification of plasma messenger RNA as novel noninvasive biomarker identified through bioinformatics analysis for lung cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) remains associated with significant mortality worldwide. The lack of reliable noninvasive biomarkers and targeted therapies contributes to poor survival rate. Herein, we initially took advantage of the public microarray data from Oncomine database to filter messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as potential biomarkers.

Association between aberrant APC promoter methylation and breast cancer pathogenesis: a meta-analysis of 35 observational studies.

Background. Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is widely known as an antagonist of the Wnt signaling pathway via the inactivation of β-catenin. An increasing number of studies have reported that APC methylation contributes to the predisposition to breast cancer (BC).

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of programmed cell death ligand1 (PD-L1) expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

Objective: Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and one of its ligands, PD-L1, are key immune checkpoint proteins. Evidences showed PD-L1 is an emerging biomarker for immunotherapy by anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 antibody in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To investigate the association of PD-L1 protein expression with clinicopathological features and its impact on survival outcome, we conducted a meta-analysis.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of CD24 overexpression in patients with gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

Objective: The prognostic significance of CD24 expression for survival in patients with gastric cancer remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the impact of CD24 expression on clinicopathological features and survival outcomes in gastric cancer.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search of the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI; up to April 8, 2014) was performed for relevant studies using multiple search strategies.

S-1-based versus 5-FU-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment in advanced gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

To compare the efficacy, prognosis, and toxicity of S-1-based with fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) as first-line treatment, we performed this meta-analysis of all eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases (up to February 20, 2014) was performed. Additionally, abstracts presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conferences held between January 2000 and February 2014 were searched to identify relevant trials.

Genetic alterations after carbon ion irradiation in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in gene expression profiles of human lung adenocarcinoma cells and identify genes whose expression is altered by heavy ions but not X-rays. The lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 was irradiated with carbon ion beams and X-rays using biologically equivalent doses (2 Gy and 6 Gy, respectively). The transcriptional profiling was determined with a high density cDNA microarray containing 11.

EphA2 blockade enhances the anti-endothelial effect of radiation and inhibits irradiated tumor cell-induced migration of endothelial cells.

Background: EphA2 tyrosine kinase plays an important role in tumor angiogenesis, but whether targeting this pathway can affect response to ionizing radiation (IR) remains unknown.

Methods: We investigated, using a soluble EphA2-Fc chimera, whether EphA2 inhibition could sensitize A549 and MCF-7 tumor cells, as well as human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC), to IR.

Results: EphA2-Fc resulted in a greater response of endothelial cells (EC) to IR than either treatment alone.

Siah1 proteins enhance radiosensitivity of human breast cancer cells.

Background: Siah proteins play an important role in cancer progression. We evaluated the effect of Siah1, its splice variants Siah1L and the Siah1 mutant with the RING finger deleted (Siah1DeltaR) on radiosensitization of human breast cancer cells.

Methods: The status of Siah1 and Siah1L was analysed in five breast cancer cell lines.

Expression of the Wnt antagonist DKK3 is frequently suppressed in sporadic epithelial ovarian cancer.

Purpose: The Wnt pathway plays an important role in embryonic development, and defects in this pathway have been implicated in the tumorigenesis. The Dickkopf 3 (DKK3) is a putative Wnt signaling inhibitor that is frequently inactivated in human cancers. However, the expression of DKK3 in ovarian cancer remains unknown.

Decreased mitochondrial DNA content in blood samples of patients with stage I breast cancer.

Background: Alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been implicated in carcinogenesis. We developed an accurate multiplex quantitative real-time PCR for synchronized determination of mtDNA and nuclear DNA (nDNA). We sought to investigate whether mtDNA content in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients is associated with clinical and pathological parameters.

Increased expression of EphA7 correlates with adverse outcome in primary and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme patients.

Background: Malignant gliomas are lethal cancers, highly dependent on angiogenesis and treatment options and prognosis still remain poor for patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Ephs and ephrins have many well-defined functions during embryonic development of central nervous system such as axon mapping, neural crest cell migration, hindbrain segmentation and synapse formation as well as physiological and abnormal angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence indicates that Eph and ephrins are frequently overexpressed in different tumor types including GBM.

Increased expression of EphA2 correlates with adverse outcome in primary and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme patients.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive form of brain tumor characterized by excessive angiogenesis. The dismal prognosis of patients with GBM warrants the development of new targeting therapies based on novel molecular markers. The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase plays a pivotal role in tumor angiogenesis and an increased expression in glioma patients has recently been reported.

Metastasis: the seed and soil theory gains identity.

The metastatic spread of tumor cells to distant sites represents the major cause of cancer-related deaths. Cancer metastasis involves a series of complex interactions between tumor cells and microenvironment that influence its biological effectiveness and facilitate tumor cell arrest to distant organs. More than a century since Paget developed the theory of seed and soil, the enigma of tissue specificity observed in metastatic colonization of tumor cells begins to unfold itself.

Systematic identification and molecular characterization of genes differentially expressed in breast and ovarian cancer.

The identification of novel disease-associated genes in gynaecological tumours has important implications for understanding the process of tumourigenesis and the development of novel treatment regimens. cDNA libraries from disease tissues may represent a valuable source to identify such genes. Recently, a bio-informatic procedure based on an 'electronic Northern' approach was established to screen expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries for genes differentially expressed in tumour and normal tissues, and identified 450 candidate genes differentially expressed in breast and ovarian cancer.

Rosiglitazone reverses insulin secretion altered by chronic exposure to free fatty acid via IRS-2-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway.

Aim: To study the effect of rosiglitazone (RSG) on insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets under chronic exposure to free fatty acid (FFA) and to investigate the potential signaling mechanism of RSG action.

Methods: Rat pancreatic islets were cultured with or without FFA (2 mmol/L, oleate:palmitate, 2:1) in the presence or absence of RSG (0.05-10 micromol/L).