MicroRNA signatures in human cancers

MicroRNA (miRNA) alterations are involved in the initiation and progression of human cancer. The causes of the widespread differential expression of miRNA genes in malignant compared with normal cells can be explained by the location of these genes in cancer-associated genomic regions, by epigenetic mechanisms and by alterations in the miRNA processing machinery. MiRNA-expression profiling of human tumours has identified signatures associated with diagnosis, staging, progression, prognosis and response to treatment. In addition, profiling has been exploited to identify miRNA genes that might represent downstream targets of activated oncogenic pathways, or that target protein-coding genes involved in cancer.     

Gene expression analysis of prostate cancers.

Prostate cancer is a biologically heterogeneous disease with considerable variation in clinical aggressiveness. The behavior of prostate cancer can be considered a direct or indirect result of aberrant alterations of gene expression in prostate epithelial cells. Identification of the patterns of gene-expression alterations that are related to the aggressiveness of prostate cancers will greatly assist the development of tools for early detection of prostate cancers with poor clinical outcome and identification of targets for future therapeutic intervention. To detect the patterns of gene-expression alterations of prostate cancers, we performed a comprehensive gene-expression analysis on 30 prostate tissues of various levels of invasiveness (ranging from those confined to the organ to distant metastases) and Gleason grades (combined scores 4-9), using the Affymetrix chip set Hu35k (A-D) and U95a. Following three sequential selection screens, we identified 84 largely novel genes and expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences whose expression levels were altered significantly in prostate cancer samples compared with control normal tissues. In addition, the expression levels of a group of 12 genes and EST sequences was found to be altered significantly in aggressive type of prostate cancers but not in organ-confined prostate cancers. Cluster analysis using the 84-gene list showed that the highly aggressive prostate cancers contained gene-expression patterns that were distinct from organ-confined prostate cancers.     

Aberrant promoter methylation profile of prostate cancers and its relationship to clinicopathological features.

PURPOSE: We investigated the aberrant methylation profile of prostate cancers and correlated the data with clinical findings. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Gene promoter methylation was analyzed in 101 prostate cancer samples. In addition, we analyzed 32 nonmalignant prostate tissue samples, which included 25 with benign disease, benign prostatic hypertrophy, or prostatitis, and 7 normal tissues adjacent to cancer. The methylation status of 10 genes was determined. The methylation index (MI) was calculated as a reflection of the methylated fraction of the genes examined. RESULTS: Methylation percentages of the genes tested in prostate cancers were: RARbeta, 53%; RASSF1A, 53%; GSTP1, 36%; CDH13, 31%; APC, 27%; CDH1, 27%; FHIT, 15%; p16(INK4A), 3%; DAPK, 1%; and MGMT, 0%. Methylation percentages in nonmalignant tissues were much lower. For clinicopathological correlations, we divided the cancer cases into low (6 or less) or high (7 or more) Gleason score (GS) groups, and into low (8 ng/ml or less) or high (greater than 8 ng/ml) preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) groups. Methylation of RASSF1A, GSTP1, RARbeta, and CDH13 genes was significantly more frequent in the high GS group than in the low GS group. Methylation of RASSF1A, CDH1, and GSTP1 genes was significantly more frequent in the high PSA group than in the low PSA group. The median MIs were significantly higher in the high GS and the high PSA groups. According to the Spearman rank-correlation test, there was significant correlation between MI and GS (coefficient = 0.43, P < 0.0001) and the preoperative serum PSA (coefficient = 0.37, P = 0.0003). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the methylation profile of prostate cancers correlates with clinicopathological features of poor prognosis.     

MicroRNA expression profiling in prostate cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small, endogenously expressed noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate expression of protein-coding genes at the translational level. Accumulating evidence, such as aberrant expression of miRNAs, suggests that they are involved in the development of cancer. They have been identified in various tumor types, showing that different sets of miRNAs are usually deregulated in different cancers. To identify the miRNA signature specific for prostate cancer, miRNA expression profiling of 6 prostate cancer cell lines, 9 prostate cancer xenografts samples, 4 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 9 prostate carcinoma samples was carried out by using an oligonucleotide array hybridization method. Differential expression of 51 individual miRNAs between benign tumors and carcinoma tumors was detected, 37 of them showing down-regulation and 14 up-regulation in carcinoma samples, thus identifying those miRNAs that could be significant in prostate cancer development and/or growth. There was a significant trend (P=0.029) between the expression of miRNAs and miRNA locus copy number determined by array comparative genomic hybridization, indicating that genetic aberrations may target miRNAs. Hierarchical clustering of the tumor samples by their miRNA expression accurately separated the carcinomas from the BPH samples and also further classified the carcinoma tumors according to their androgen dependence (hormone naive versus hormone refractory), indicating the potential of miRNAs as a novel diagnostic and prognostic tool for prostate cancer.     

Changes in tumor-antigen expression profile as human small-cell lung cancers progress

Objective

Our group has previously observed that in patients with small-cell lung cancers (SCLCs), the expression of a tumor antigen, glioma big potassium (gBK) ion channel, is higher at the time of death than when the cancer is first treated by surgical resection. This study aimed to determine whether this dichotomy was common in other potential lung tumor antigens by examining the same patient samples using our more extensive profile analysis of tumor-antigen precursor protein (TAPP). We then tested the hypothesis that therapeutic intervention may inadvertently cause this increased gBK production.

Methods

SCLC samples (eight surgical resections and three autopsy samples) and three control lungs were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for 42 potential TAPPs that represent potential T-cell-mediated immunological targets.

Results

Twenty-two TAPP mRNAs displayed the same profile as gBK, i.e., more mRNAs were expressed at autopsy than in their surgical counterparts. B-cyclin and mouse double minute 2, human homolog of P53-binding protein were elevated in both autopsy and surgical specimens above the normal-lung controls. When HTB119 cells were incubated with doxorubicin, gBK was strongly induced, as confirmed by intracellular flow cytometry with a gBK-specific antibody.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that more immunological targets became available as the tumor responded to chemotherapy and proceeded toward its terminal stages.KEYWORDS : Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), glioma big potassium (gBK) ion channel, tumor antigens, immunoprevention, real-time polymerase chain reaction, T-lymphocytes     

微小RNA与人类肿瘤

微小RNA（microRNA,miRNA）是一类对基因具有调控功能的内源性非编码小分子RNA。目前认为miRNA在多种生物学过程中起着至关重要的作用,包括细胞增殖、分化、凋亡等。近年研究表明miRNA表达异常能导致疾病甚至肿瘤的发生,有类似于抑癌基因或癌基因的功能。因此,对miRNA的进一步研究为肿瘤的诊断和治疗开辟了新的路径。     

微小RNA与人类肿瘤

微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)是一类对基因具有调控功能的内源性非编码小分子RNA.目前认为miRNA在多种生物学过程中起着至关重要的作用,包括细胞增殖、分化、凋亡等.近年研究表明miRNA表达异常能导致疾病甚至肿瘤的发生,有类似于抑癌基因或癌基因的功能.因此,对miRNA的进一步研究为肿瘤的诊断和治疗开辟了...     

肺癌缺氧A549细胞的microRNA芯片表达谱分析

目的:研究缺氧对肺腺癌A549细胞中microRNA表达谱的影响,分析靶基因参与的生物学功能和通路。方法:基于miRNA芯片技术和生物信息学分析方法,分析缺氧条件和正常氧条件下培养的A549细胞中差异表达的miRNA,并预测这些miRNA的靶基因,分析靶基因参与的生物学功能和通路。结果:本研究共筛选出14个差异表达miRNA,包括9个在缺氧细胞中上调miRNA和5个下调miRNA。上调和下调miRNA的靶基因都参与DNA转录、核染色质修饰等功能,并且都参与Wnt信号、TGF-β信号和MAPK信号通路。结论:缺氧的肺腺癌A549细胞中miRNA表达谱发生了显著改变,差异表达miRNA对某些基因具有调控作用。     

Hormono-radiotherapy of non-metastatic prostate cancers]

Patients presenting with non-metastatic cancer of prostate have a high probability of relapse if they are treated by either surgery alone or irradiation alone, when poor prognosis factors are present. Clinical stage (> or = T3a), Gleason score, and PSA level (> 20 ng/mL) are the more significant factors. It is likely that many patients can draw benefit of combined androgenic suppression and radiotherapy. However, despite results of European and American trials published the last decade, a number of questions remain without a clear response, especially on the modalities of treatment according to the characteristics of the disease.     

Loss of NKX3.1 expression in human prostate cancers correlates with tumor progression

NKX3.1 is a prostate-specific homeobox gene located on chromosome 8p21. In the mouse, Nkx3.1 has growth-suppressive and differentiating effects on prostatic epithelium. Mutations of the coding region of NKX3.1 were not found in human prostate cancer, failing to support the notion that NKX3.1 was a tumor suppressor gene. To study the expression o NKX3.1 protein in human tissues and prostate cancer, we derived a rabbit antiserum against purified recombinant NKX3.1. Among normal human tissues, NKX3.1 expression was seen in testis, in rare pulmonary mucous glands, and in isolated regions of transitional epithelium of the ureter. NKX3.1 was uniformly expressed in nuclei of normal prostate epithelial cells in 61 histological sections from radical prostatectomy specimens. We analyzed 507 samples of neoplastic prostate epithelium, most of which were contained on a tissue microarray that contained samples from different stages of prostatic neoplasia. We observed complete loss of NKX3.1 expression in 5% of benign prostatic hyperplasias, 20% of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasias, 6% of T1a/b samples, 22% of T3/4 samples, 34% of hormone-refractory prostate cancers, and 78% of metastases. Our data show that NKX3.1 expression is highly, but not exclusively, specific for the prostate. Loss of NKX3.1 expression is strongly associated with hormone-refractory disease and advanced tumor stage in prostate cancer (P < 0.0001).     

Proteomic analysis of human prostate cancer.

Proteomics is a promising approach in the identification of proteins and biochemical pathways involved in tumorigenesis. In an effort to discover such proteins and pathways that are deregulated in prostate tumorigenesis, cellular proteomes of matched normal prostate epithelial cells and high-grade prostate cancer cells were analyzed by tissue microdissection, two-dimensional electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. Forty protein alterations were detected in the tumors; however, the majority of these changes were not shared among the 12 neoplasms. In contrast, parallel cDNA microarray analysis identified a number of common gene expression changes. The marked heterogeneity of the observed protein alterations may have significance with regard to tumor biology and research strategies for molecular profiling analyses of human prostate cancer.     

Increased levels of human papillomavirus type 16 DNA in a subset of prostate cancers

Whether oncogenic human papilloma viruses (HPVs) are involved in the pathogenesis of prostate cancers has been a subject of great controversy. To clarify the contradictory results of investigations, with the aim of detecting viral nucleic acids in prostate cancers, we have carried out a comparative quantitation of the HPV16-E6 sequence in 84 prostate specimens. Using single-tube quantitative competitive PCR, we characterized 47 prostate cancers and 37 control tissues of benign prostatic hyperplasia. A subgroup of the prostate tumors (10 of 47; 21%) was detected as having significantly higher copy numbers of HPV16-E6 sequences when compared to the control tissue (1 of 37; 3%), using a cutoff value of 300 copies per 12,500 diploid cells (two-sided Fisher's exact test, P = 0.02). Our results indicate that the oncogenic HPV16 might contribute to the development of a subset of prostate tumors.     

Immunohistochemical and soluble expression of CD44 in primary and metastatic human prostate cancers

Immunohistochemical expression of standard and v6 isoforms of CD44 was performed on specimens from three groups of prostate cancer patients: Group I, primary prostate cancers (N=31); Group II? lymph node metastases (N=18); and Group III, bone metastases (N=15). In addition, serum from all Group I patients was analyzed for soluble CD44 expression. Benign glands exhibited strong CD44s and CD44v6 expression in basal cells. Weak basolateral staining was identified in superficial luminal cells. Malignant glands and metastatic tumors revealed diminished or absent expression of both CD44s and CD44vG with a heterogeneous pattern. Pretreatment with chondroitinase did not significantly alter CD44 expression. Soluble CD44 was present in all serum samples, however, expression was variable. There was no statistically significant correlation between immunohistochemical CD44 expression, soluble CD44 expression, and clinical progression.     

Microsatellite instability in latent prostate cancers

Forty-seven latent prostate cancers obtained from 46 Japanese men were examined for microsatellite instability (MSI). This study with examination at 23 microsatellite loci revealed replication error (RER) in 11 of the 47 cases (23%), 4 of them showing RER with 2 loci that was defined as MSI. Histological grade was significantly associated with RER; 9 of the 11 RER positive cases were of infiltrative type, and the 4 of them exhibiting MSI were all poorly differentiated. While the frequency of MSI in latent prostate cancer was lower than in clinical cases, it was found in the more aggressive lesions thought most likely to develop into clinical cancers. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Surveillance active des cancers de prostate

The extensive use of PSA has led to the diagnosis of indolent cancers, which represent a subgroup of low-volume, low-risk lesions. Active surveillance is a method to monitor these patients to provide an active treatment in case of development of aggression, but still at a curable stage, thereby differentiating it from watchfull waiting. Surveillance is based on repeated biopsies and PSA. The current data are very encouraging, despite a shorter follow-up when compared with other studies. Specific survival is greater than 97% at 10 years. The criteria for inclusion and transition to an active treatment should be clarified, but this method can no longer be considered experimental only.     

MicroRNA profiling in human medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is an aggressive brain malignancy with high incidence in childhood. Current treatment approaches have limited efficacy and severe side effects. Therefore, new risk-adapted therapeutic strategies based on molecular classification are required. MicroRNA expression analysis has emerged as a powerful tool to identify candidate molecules playing an important role in a large number of malignancies. However, no data are yet available on human primary medulloblastomas. A high throughput microRNA expression profiles was performed in human primary medulloblastoma specimens to investigate microRNA involvement in medulloblastoma carcinogenesis. We identified specific microRNA expression patterns which distinguish medulloblastoma differing in histotypes (anaplastic, classic and desmoplastic), in molecular features (ErbB2 or c-Myc overexpressing tumors) and in disease-risk stratification. MicroRNAs expression profile clearly differentiates medulloblastoma from either adult or fetal normal cerebellar tissues. Only a few microRNAs displayed upregulated expression, while most of them were downregulated in tumor samples, suggesting a tumor growth-inhibitory function. This property has been addressed for miR-9 and miR-125a, whose rescued expression promoted medulloblastoma cell growth arrest and apoptosis while targeting the proproliferative truncated TrkC isoform. In conclusion, misregulated microRNA expression profiles characterize human medulloblastomas, and may provide potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies.