Whole-genome profiling of nasopharyngeal carcinoma reveals viral-host co-operation in inflammatory NF-κB activation and immune escape.

Interplay between EBV infection and acquired genetic alterations during nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) development remains vague. Here we report a comprehensive genomic analysis of 70 NPCs, combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of microdissected tumor cells with EBV oncogene expression to reveal multiple aspects of cellular-viral co-operation in tumorigenesis. Genomic aberrations along with EBV-encoded LMP1 expression underpin constitutive NF-κB activation in 90% of NPCs.

Short-Form Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (sfTSLP) Is the Predominant Isoform Expressed by Gynaecologic Cancers and Promotes Tumour Growth.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial cell derived cytokine belonging to the IL-7 family and a key initiator of allergic inflammation. Two main isoforms of TSLP, classified as long- (lfTSLP) and short-form (sfTSLP), have been reported in human, but their expression patterns and role(s) in cancers are not yet clear. mRNA expression was examined by isoform-specific RT-PCR and RNA in situ hybridisation.

Exome and genome sequencing of nasopharynx cancer identifies NF-κB pathway activating mutations.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an aggressive head and neck cancer characterized by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and dense lymphocyte infiltration. The scarcity of NPC genomic data hinders the understanding of NPC biology, disease progression and rational therapy design. Here we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 111 micro-dissected EBV-positive NPCs, with 15 cases subjected to further whole-genome sequencing (WGS), to determine its mutational landscape.

Survivin depletion inhibits tumor growth and enhances chemosensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis family, which has been suggested to be crucial in the control of cell division and inhibition of apoptosis. Expression of this protein has been observed in transformed cell lines and human tumor tissues, including those from colorectal cancer, but not in terminally differentiated adult tissues. Survivin mRNA expression has frequently been detected in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its protein expression has been demonstrated to be highly correlated with proliferation index rather than apoptotic index.

Identification of a novel 12p13.3 amplicon in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct type of head and neck cancer commonly occurring in southern China. To decipher the molecular basis of this cancer, we performed high-resolution array CGH analysis on eight tumour lines and 10 primary tumours to identify the genes involved in NPC tumorigenesis. In this study, multiple regions of gain were consistently found at 1q21-q24, 7q11-12, 7q21-22.