| 1. |
- Holm, Johanna, et al.
(author)
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Assessment of breast cancer risk factors reveals subtype heterogeneity
- 2017
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In: Cancer Research. - Stockholm : Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. - 0008-5472. ; 77:13, s. 3708-3717
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Subtype heterogeneity for breast cancer risk factors has been suspected, potentially reflecting etiological differences and implicating risk prediction. Reports are conflicting regarding presence of heterogeneity for many exposures. To examine subtype heterogeneity across known breast cancer risk factors, we conducted a case-control analysis of 2,632 breast cancers and 15,945 controls in Sweden. Molecular subtype was predicted from pathology-record derived immunohistochemistry markers by a classifier trained on PAM50 subtyping. Multinomial logistic regression estimated separate odds ratios for each subtype by the exposures parity, age at first birth, breastfeeding, menarche, HRT use, somatotype at age 18, benign breast disease, mammographic density, polygenic risk score, family history of breast cancer and BRCA mutations. We found clear subtype heterogeneity for genetic factors and breastfeeding. The polygenic risk score was associated with risk of all subtypes except for the basal-like (p heterogeneity < 0.0001). Parous women who never breastfed were at higher risk of basal-like subtype (OR 4.17; 95% CI 1.89 to 9.21) compared to both nulliparous (reference) and breastfeeding women. Breastfeeding was not associated with risk of HER2-overexpressing type, but protective for all other subtypes. The observed heterogeneity in risk of distinct breast cancer subtypes for germline variants supports heterogeneity in etiology and has implications for their use in risk prediction. The increased risk of basal-like subtype among women who never breastfed merits more research into potential causal mechanisms and confounders.
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| 2. |
- Holowko, Natalie, et al.
(author)
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Heritability of mammographic breast density, density change, microcalcifications, and masses
- 2020
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In: Cancer Research. - Stockholm : Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. - 0008-5472. ; 80:7, s. 1590-1600
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Mammographic features influence breast cancer risk and are used in risk prediction models. Understanding how genetics influence mammographic features is important since the mechanisms through which they are associated with breast cancer are not well known. Methods: Mammographic screening history and detailed questionnaire data for 56,820 women from the KARMA prospective cohort study were used. The heritability of mammographic features such as dense area (MD), microcalcifications, masses, and density change (MDC – cm2/year) were estimated using 1,940 sister pairs. We investigated the association between a genetic predisposition to breast cancer and mammographic features, among women with family history of breast cancer information (N=49,674) and a polygenic risk score (PRS, N=9,365). Results: Heritability was estimated at 58% (95% CI: 48%, 67%) for MD, 23% (2%, 45%) for microcalcifications, and 13% (1%, 25%) for masses. The estimated heritability for MDC was essentially null (2%, 95% CI: -8%, 12%). The association between a genetic predisposition to breast cancer (using PRS) and MD and microcalcifications was positive, while for masses this was borderline significant. In addition, for MDC, having a family history of breast cancer was associated with slightly greater MD reduction. Conclusions: We confirmed previous findings of heritability in MD, and also found heritability of the number of microcalcifications and masses at baseline. Since these features are associated with breast cancer risk, and can improve detecting women at short-term risk of breast cancer, further investigation of common loci associated with mammographic features is warranted to better understand the etiology of breast cancer.
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| 3. |
- Antoniou, A. C., et al.
(author)
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Common breast cancer susceptibility alleles and the risk of breast cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers : Implications for risk prediction
- 2010
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 70:23, s. 9742-9754
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The known breast cancer susceptibility polymorphisms in FGFR2, TNRC9/TOX3, MAP3K1, LSP1, and 2q35 confer increased risks of breast cancer for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. We evaluated the associations of 3 additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs4973768 in SLC4A7/NEK10, rs6504950 in STXBP4/COX11, and rs10941679 at 5p12, and reanalyzed the previous associations using additional carriers in a sample of 12,525 BRCA1 and 7,409 BRCA2 carriers. Additionally, we investigated potential interactions between SNPs and assessed the implications for risk prediction. The minor alleles of rs4973768 and rs10941679 were associated with increased breast cancer risk for BRCA2 carriers (per-allele HR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03-1.18, P = 0.006 and HR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.19, P = 0.03, respectively). Neither SNP was associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 carriers, and rs6504950 was not associated with breast cancer for either BRCA1 or BRCA2 carriers. Of the 9 polymorphisms investigated, 7 were associated with breast cancer for BRCA2 carriers (FGFR2, TOX3, MAP3K1, LSP1, 2q35, SLC4A7, 5p12, P = 7 × 10-11 - 0.03), but only TOX3 and 2q35 were associated with the risk for BRCA1 carriers (P = 0.0049, 0.03, respectively). All risk-associated polymorphisms appear to interact multiplicatively on breast cancer risk for mutation carriers. Based on the joint genotype distribution of the 7 risk-associated SNPs in BRCA2 mutation carriers, the 5% of BRCA2 carriers at highest risk (i.e., between 95th and 100th percentiles) were predicted to have a probability between 80% and 96% of developing breast cancer by age 80, compared with 42% to 50% for the 5% of carriers at lowest risk. Our findings indicated that these risk differences might be sufficient to influence the clinical management of mutation carriers.
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| 4. |
- Gerlee, Philip, 1980
(author)
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The Model Muddle: In Search of Tumor Growth Laws
- 2013
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 73:8, s. 2407-2411
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this article, we will trace the historical development of tumor growth laws, which in a quantitative fashion describe the increase in tumor mass/volume over time. These models are usually formulated in terms of differential equations that relate the growth rate of the tumor to its current state and range from the simple one-parameter exponential growth model to more advanced models that contain a large number of parameters. Understanding the assumptions and consequences of such models is important, as they often underpin more complex models of tumor growth. The conclusion of this brief survey is that although much improvement has occurred over the last century, more effort and new models are required if we are to understand the intricacies of tumor growth.
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| 5. |
- Jirström, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Adverse effect of adjuvant tamoxifen in premenopausal breast cancer with cyclin D1 gene amplification
- 2005
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In: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 65:17, s. 8009-8016
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cyclins D1 and A2 are cell cycle regulators that also have the ability to interact with the estrogen receptor (ER) and consequently interfere with antiestrogen treatment in breast cancer. Experimental data support this concept, but the clinical relevance needs to be further established. In this study, we evaluated cyclin D1 and A2 protein expression by immunohistochemistry and cyclin D1 gene (CCND1) amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization in 500 primary breast cancers arranged in tissue microarrays. Patients had been randomized to 2 years of adjuvant tamoxifen or no treatment with a median follow-up of 14 years, allowing for subgroup analysis of treatment response defined by cyclin status. We found that both cyclin D1 and A2 protein overexpression was associated with an impaired tamoxifen response, although not significant in multivariate interaction analyses, whereas tamoxifen-treated patients with CCND1-amplified tumors had a substantially increased risk for disease recurrence after tamoxifen treatment in univariate analyses [relative risk (RR), 2.22; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.94-5.26; P = 0.06] in contrast to nonamplified tumors (RR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.23-0.65; P < 0.0001). Consequently, a highly significant interaction between tamoxifen treatment and CCND1 amplification could be shown regarding both recurrence-free survival (RR, 6.38; 95% CI, 2.29-17.78; P < 0.001) and overall survival (RR, 5.34; 95% CI, 1.84-15.51; P = 0.002), suggesting an agonistic effect of tamoxifen in ER-positive tumors. In node-positive patients, the disparate outcome according to gene amplification status was even more accentuated. In summary, our data implicate that despite a significant correlation to cyclin D1 protein expression, amplification status of the CCND1 gene seems a strong independent predictor of tamoxifen response, and possibly agonism, in premenopausal breast cancer.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Pena, Cristina, et al.
(author)
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STC1 Expression By Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Drives Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer
- 2013
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 74:4, s. 1287-1297
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor signaling is a major functional determinant of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Elevated expression of PDGF receptors on stromal CAFs is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis, but mechanism(s) that underlie these connections are not understood. Here, we report the identification of the secreted glycoprotein stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) as a mediator of metastasis by PDGF receptor function in the setting of colorectal cancer. PDGF-stimulated fibroblasts increased migration and invasion of cocultured colorectal cancer cells in an STC1-dependent manner. Analyses of human colorectal cancers revealed significant associations between stromal PDGF receptor and STC1 expression. In an orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer, tumors formed in the presence of STC1-deficient fibroblasts displayed reduced intravasation of tumor cells along with fewer and smaller distant metastases formed. Our results reveal a mechanistic basis for understanding the contribution of PDGF-activated CAFs to cancer metastasis. Cancer Res; 73(4); 1287-97.
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| 8. |
- Saito, Roy-Akira, et al.
(author)
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Forkhead box F1 regulates tumor-promoting properties of cancer-associated fibroblasts in lung cancer.
- 2010
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In: Cancer research. - 1538-7445 .- 0008-5472. ; 70:7, s. 2644-54
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) attract increasing attention as potential cancer drug targets due to their ability to stimulate, for example, tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms causing the tumor-promoting properties of CAFs remain poorly understood. Forkhead box F1 (FoxF1) is a mesenchymal target of hedgehog signaling, known to regulate mesenchymal-epithelial interactions during lung development. Studies with FoxF1 gain- and loss-of-function fibroblasts revealed that FoxF1 regulates the contractility of fibroblasts, their production of hepatocyte growth factor and fibroblast growth factor-2, and their stimulation of lung cancer cell migration. FoxF1 status of fibroblasts was also shown to control the ability of fibroblasts to stimulate xenografted tumor growth. FoxF1 was expressed in CAFs of human lung cancer and associated with activation of hedgehog signaling. These observations suggest that hedgehog-dependent FoxF1 is a clinically relevant lung CAF-inducing factor, and support experimentally the general concept that CAF properties can be induced by activation of developmentally important transcription factors.
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| 9. |
- Svenson, Ulrika, et al.
(author)
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Breast cancer survival is associated with telomere length in peripheral blood cells
- 2008
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In: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 68:10, s. 3618-3623
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Telomeres are essential for maintaining chromosomal stability. Previous studies have indicated that individuals with shorter blood telomeres may be at higher risk of developing various types of cancer, such as in lung, bladder, and kidney. We have analyzed relative telomere length (RTL) of peripheral blood cells in relation to breast cancer incidence and prognosis. The study included 265 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and 446 female controls. RTL was measured by real-time PCR, and our results show that the patient group displayed significantly longer telomeres compared with controls (P < 0.001). Age-adjusted odds ratios (OR) for breast cancer risk increased with increasing telomere length, with a maximal OR of 5.17 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 3.09-8.64] for the quartile with the longest telomeres. Furthermore, RTL carried prognostic information for patients with advanced disease. Node positive (N+) patients with short telomeres (16 mm (median tumor diameter), short telomeres were associated with a significantly better outcome than longer telomeres (P = 0.006). Cox regression analysis showed that long RTL was a significant independent negative prognostic factor (hazards ratio, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.33-6.39; P = 0.007). Our results indicate that blood RTL may serve as a prognostic indicator in breast cancer patients with advanced disease.
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| 10. |
- Berg, Tracy J., et al.
(author)
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The Irradiated Brain Microenvironment Supports Glioma Stemness and Survival via Astrocyte-Derived Transglutaminase 2
- 2021
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association For Cancer Research (AACR). - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 81:8, s. 2101-2115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The tumor microenvironment plays an essential role in supporting glioma stemness and radioresistance. Following radiotherapy, recurrent gliomas form in an irradiated microenvironment. Here we report that astrocytes, when pre-irradiated, increase stemness and survival of cocultured glioma cells. Tumor-naive brains increased reactive astrocytes in response to radiation, and mice subjected to radiation prior to implantation of glioma cells developed more aggressive tumors. Extracellular matrix derived from irradiated astrocytes were found to be a major driver of this phenotype and astrocyte-derived transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) was identified as a promoter of glioma stemness and radioresistance. TGM2 levels increased after radiation in vivo and in recurrent human glioma, and TGM2 inhibitors abrogated glioma stemness and survival. These data suggest that irradiation of the brain results in the formation of a tumor-supportive microenvironment. Therapeutic targeting of radiation-induced, astrocyte-derived extracellular matrix proteins may enhance the efficacy of standard-of-care radiotherapy by reducing stemness in glioma. Significance: These findings presented here indicate that radiotherapy can result in a tumor-supportive microenvironment, the targeting of which may be necessary to overcome tumor cell therapeutic resistance and recurrence.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Busch, Susann, et al.
(author)
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Loss of TGF beta Receptor Type 2 Expression Impairs Estrogen Response and Confers Tamoxifen Resistance
- 2015
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 75:7, s. 1457-1469
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One third of the patients with estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha)-positive breast cancer who are treated with the antiestrogen tamoxifen will either not respond to initial therapy or will develop drug resistance. Endocrine response involves crosstalk between ER alpha and TGF beta signaling, such that tamoxifen non-responsiveness or resistance in breast cancer might involve aberrant TGF beta signaling. In this study, we analyzed TGF beta receptor type 2 (TGFBR2) expression and correlated it with ER alpha status and phosphorylation in a cohort of 564 patients who had been randomized to tamoxifen or no-adjuvant treatment for invasive breast carcinoma. We also evaluated an additional four independent genetic datasets in invasive breast cancer. In all the cohorts we analyzed, we documented an association of low TGFBR2 protein and mRNA expression with tamoxifen resistance. Functional investigations confirmed that cell cycle or apoptosis responses to estrogen or tamoxifen in ER alpha-positive breast cancer cells were impaired by TGFBR2 silencing, as was ER alpha phosphorylation, tamoxifen-induced transcriptional activation of TGF beta, and upregulation of the multidrug resistance protein ABCG2. Acquisition of low TGFBR2 expression as a contributing factor to endocrine resistance was validated prospectively in a tamoxifen-resistant cell line generated by long-term drug treatment. Collectively, our results established a central contribution of TGF beta signaling in endocrine resistance in breast cancer and offered evidence that TGFBR2 can serve as an independent biomarker to predict treatment outcomes in ER alpha-positive forms of this disease.
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| 13. |
- Cunha, Sara I., et al.
(author)
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Endothelial ALK1 Is a Therapeutic Target to Block Metastatic Dissemination of Breast Cancer.
- 2015
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In: Cancer Research. - 1538-7445 .- 0008-5472. ; 75:12, s. 2445-2456
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Exploration of new strategies for the prevention of breast cancer metastasis is justifiably at the center of clinical attention. In this study, we combined a computational biology approach with mechanism-based preclinical trials to identify inhibitors of activin-like receptor kinase (ALK) 1 as effective agents for blocking angiogenesis and metastasis in breast cancer. Pharmacologic targeting of ALK1 provided long-term therapeutic benefit in mouse models of mammary carcinoma, accompanied by strikingly reduced metastatic colonization as a monotherapy or part of combinations with chemotherapy. Gene-expression analysis of breast cancer specimens from a population-based nested case-control study encompassing 768 subjects defined endothelial expression of ALK1 as an independent and highly specific prognostic factor for metastatic manifestation, a finding that was corroborated in an independent clinical cohort. Overall, our results suggest that pharmacologic inhibition of endothelial ALK1 constitutes a tractable strategy for interfering with metastatic dissemination of breast cancer. Cancer Res; 75(12); 2445-56. ©2015 AACR.
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| 14. |
- Goldstein, Alisa M., et al.
(author)
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High-risk melanoma susceptibility genes and pancreatic cancer, neural system tumors, and uveal melanoma across GenoMEL
- 2006
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In: Cancer Research. - 1538-7445 .- 0008-5472. ; 66:20, s. 9818-9828
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- GenoMEL, comprising major familial melanoma research groups from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia has created the largest familial melanoma sample yet available to characterize mutations in the high-risk melanoma susceptibility genes CDKN2A/alternate reading frames (ARF), which encodes p16 and p14ARF, and CDK4 and to evaluate their relationship with pancreatic cancer (PC), neural system tumors (NST), and uveal melanoma (UM). This study included 466 families (2,137 patients) with at least three melanoma patients from 17 GenoMEL centers. Overall, 41% (n = 190) of families had mutations; most involved p16 (n = 178). Mutations in CDK4 (n = 5) and ARF (n = 7) occurred at similar frequencies (2-3%). There were striking differences in mutations across geographic locales. The proportion of families with the most frequent founder mutation(s) of each locale differed significantly across the seven regions (P = 0.0009). Single founder CDKN2A mutations were predominant in Sweden (p.R112_L113insR, 92% of family's mutations) and the Netherlands (c.225_243del19, 90% of family's mutations). France, Spain, and Italy had the same most frequent mutation (p.G101W). Similarly, Australia and United Kingdom had the same most common mutations (p.M53I, cdVS2-105A > G, p.R24P, and p.L32P). As reported previously, there was a strong association between PC and CDKN2A mutations (P < 0.0001). This relationship differed by mutation. In contrast, there was little evidence for an association between CDKN2A mutations and NST (P = 0.52) or UM (P = 0.25). There was a marginally significant association between NST and ARF (P = 0.05). However, this particular evaluation had low power and requires confirmation. This GenoMEL study provides the most extensive characterization of mutations in high-risk melanoma susceptibility genes in families with three or more melanoma patients yet available.
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| 15. |
- Jang, Sung-Wuk, et al.
(author)
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Serine/arginine protein-specific kinase 2 promotes leukemia cell proliferation by phosphorylating acinus and regulating cyclin A1
- 2008
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In: Cancer Research. - 1538-7445 .- 0008-5472. ; 68:12, s. 4559-4570
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Serine/arginine (SR) protein-specific kinase (SRPK), a family of cell cycle-regulated protein kinases, phosphorylate SR domain-containing proteins in nuclear speckles and mediate the pre-mRNA splicing. However, the physiologic roles of this event in cell cycle are incompletely understood. Here, we show that SRPK2 binds and phosphorylates acinus, an SR protein essential for RNA splicing, and redistributes it from the nuclear speckles to the nucleoplasm, resulting in cyclin A1 but not A2 up-regulation. Acinus S422D, an SRPK2 phosphorylation mimetic, enhances cyclin A1 transcription, whereas acinus S422A, an unphosphorylatable mutant, blocks the stimulatory effect of SRPK2. Ablation of acinus or SRPK2 abrogates cyclin A1 expression in leukemia cells and arrest cells at G, phase. Overexpression of acinus or SRPK2 increases leukemia cell proliferation. Furthermore, both SRPK2 and acinus are overexpressed in some human acute myelogenous leukemia patients and correlate with elevated cyclin A1 expression levels, fitting with the oncogenic activity of cyclin A1 in leukemia. Thus, our findings establish a molecular mechanism by which SR splicing machinery regulates cell cycle and contributes to leukemia tumorigenesis.
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| 16. |
- Kurtsdotter, Idha, et al.
(author)
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SOX5/6/21 prevent oncogene-driven transformation of brain stem cells
- 2017
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In: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 77:18, s. 4985-4997
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Molecular mechanisms preventing self-renewing brain stem cells from oncogenic transformation are poorly defined. We show that the expression levels of SOX5, SOX6, and SOX21 (SOX5/6/21) transcription factors increase in stem cells of the subventricular zone (SVZ) upon oncogenic stress, whereas their expression in human glioma decreases during malignant progression. Elevated levels of SOX5/6/21 promoted SVZ cells to exit the cell cycle, whereas genetic ablation of SOX5/6/21 dramatically increased the capacity of these cells to form glioma-like tumors in an oncogene-driven mouse brain tumor model. Loss-of-function experiments revealed that SOX5/6/21 prevent detrimental hyperproliferation of oncogene expressing SVZ cells by facilitating an antiproliferative expression profile. Consistently, restoring high levels of SOX5/6/21 in human primary glioblastoma cells enabled expression of CDK inhibitors and decreased p53 protein turnover, which blocked their tumorigenic capacity through cellular senescence and apoptosis. Altogether, these results provide evidence that SOX5/6/21 play a central role in driving a tumor suppressor response in brain stem cells upon oncogenic insult.
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| 17. |
- Lindgren, David, et al.
(author)
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Combined Gene Expression and Genomic Profiling Define Two Intrinsic Molecular Subtypes of Urothelial Carcinoma and Gene Signatures for Molecular Grading and Outcome
- 2010
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In: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 70:9, s. 3463-3472
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the present investigation, we sought to refine the classification of urothelial carcinoma by combining information on gene expression, genomic, and gene mutation levels. For these purposes, we performed gene expression analysis of 144 carcinomas, and whole genome array-CGH analysis and mutation analyses of FGFR3, PIK3CA, KRAS, HRAS, NRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and TSC1 in 103 of these cases. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified two intrinsic molecular subtypes, MS1 and MS2, which were validated and defined by the same set of genes in three independent bladder cancer data sets. The two subtypes differed with respect to gene expression and mutation profiles, as well as with the level of genomic instability. The data show that genomic instability was the most distinguishing genomic feature of MS2 tumors, and that this trait was not dependent on TP53/MDM2 alterations. By combining molecular and pathologic data, it was possible to distinguish two molecular subtypes of T(a) and T(1) tumors, respectively. In addition, we define gene signatures validated in two independent data sets that classify urothelial carcinoma into low-grade (G(1)/G(2)) and high-grade (G(3)) tumors as well as non-muscle and muscle-invasive tumors with high precisions and sensitivities, suggesting molecular grading as a relevant complement to standard pathologic grading. We also present a gene expression signature with independent prognostic effect on metastasis and disease-specific survival. We conclude that the combination of molecular and histopathologic classification systems might provide a strong improvement for bladder cancer classification and produce new insights into the development of this tumor type.
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| 18. |
- Lu, Yingchang, et al.
(author)
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A Transcriptome-Wide Association Study Among 97,898 Women to Identify Candidate Susceptibility Genes for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Risk.
- 2018
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In: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 78:18, s. 5419-5430
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- .AbstractLarge-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified approximately 35 loci associated with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) risk. The majority of GWAS-identified disease susceptibility variants are located in noncoding regions, and causal genes underlying these associations remain largely unknown. Here, we performed a transcriptome-wide association study to search for novel genetic loci and plausible causal genes at known GWAS loci. We used RNA sequencing data (68 normal ovarian tissue samples from 68 individuals and 6,124 cross-tissue samples from 369 individuals) and high-density genotyping data from European descendants of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx V6) project to build ovarian and cross-tissue models of genetically regulated expression using elastic net methods. We evaluated 17,121 genes for their cis-predicted gene expression in relation to EOC risk using summary statistics data from GWAS of 97,898 women, including 29,396 EOC cases. With a Bonferroni-corrected significance level of P < 2.2 × 10−6, we identified 35 genes, including FZD4 at 11q14.2 (Z = 5.08, P = 3.83 × 10−7, the cross-tissue model; 1 Mb away from any GWAS-identified EOC risk variant), a potential novel locus for EOC risk. All other 34 significantly associated genes were located within 1 Mb of known GWAS-identified loci, including 23 genes at 6 loci not previously linked to EOC risk. Upon conditioning on nearby known EOC GWAS-identified variants, the associations for 31 genes disappeared and three genes remained (P < 1.47 × 10−3). These data identify one novel locus (FZD4) and 34 genes at 13 known EOC risk loci associated with EOC risk, providing new insights into EOC carcinogenesis.Significance: Transcriptomic analysis of a large cohort confirms earlier GWAS loci and reveals FZD4 as a novel locus associated with EOC risk. Cancer Res; 78(18); 5419–30. ©2018 AACR.
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| 19. |
- Menard, Julien A., et al.
(author)
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Metastasis Stimulation by Hypoxia and Acidosis-Induced Extracellular Lipid Uptake Is Mediated by Proteoglycan-Dependent Endocytosis
- 2016
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In: Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 76:16, s. 4828-4840
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Hypoxia and acidosis are inherent stress factors of the tumor microenvironment and have been linked to increased tumor aggressiveness and treatment resistance. Molecules involved in the adaptive mechanisms that drive stress-induced disease progression constitute interesting candidates of therapeutic intervention. Here, we provide evidence of a novel role of heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) in the adaptive response of tumor cells to hypoxia and acidosis through increased internalization of lipoproteins, resulting in a lipid-storing phenotype and enhanced tumor-forming capacity. Patient glioblastoma tumors and cells under hypoxic and acidic stress acquired a lipid droplet (LD)-loaded phenotype, and showed an increased recruitment of all major lipoproteins, HDL, LDL, and VLDL. Stress-induced LD accumulation was associated with increased spheroid-forming capacity during reoxygenation in vitro and lung metastatic potential in vivo. On a mechanistic level, we found no apparent effect of hypoxia on HSPGs, whereas lipoprotein receptors (VLDLR and SR-B1) were transiently upregulated by hypoxia. Importantly, however, using pharmacologic and genetic approaches, we show that stress-mediated lipoprotein uptake is highly dependent on intact HSPG expression. The functional relevance of HSPG in the context of tumor cell stress was evidenced by HSPG-dependent lipoprotein cell signaling activation through the ERK/MAPK pathway and by reversal of the LD-loaded phenotype by targeting of HSPGs. We conclude that HSPGs may have an important role in the adaptive response to major stress factors of the tumor microenvironment, with functional consequences on tumor cell signaling and metastatic potential.
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| 20. |
- Miftakhova, Regina R., et al.
(author)
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Cyclin A1 and P450 Aromatase Promote Metastatic Homing and Growth of Stem-like Prostate Cancer Cells in the Bone Marrow
- 2016
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 76:8, s. 2453-2464
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Bone metastasis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in prostate cancer. While cancer stem-like cells have been implicated as a cell of origin for prostate cancer metastasis, the pathways that enable metastatic development at distal sites remain largely unknown. In this study, we illuminate pathways relevant to bone metastasis in this disease. We observed that cyclin A1 (CCNA1) protein expression was relatively higher in prostate cancer metastatic lesions in lymph node, lung, and bone/bone marrow. In both primary and metastatic tissues, cyclin A1 expression was also correlated with aromatase(CYP19A1), a key enzyme that directly regulates the local balance of androgens to estrogens. Cyclin A1 overexpression in the stem-like ALDHhigh subpopulation of PC3M cells, one model of prostate cancer, enabled bone marrow integration and metastatic growth. Further, cells obtained from bone marrow metastatic lesions displayed self-renewal capability in colony forming assays. In the bone marrow, cyclin A1 and aromatase enhanced local bonemarrow-releasing factors, including androgen receptor, estrogen and matrix metalloproteinase MMP9 and promoted the metastatic growth of prostate cancer cells. Moreover, ALDHhigh tumor cells expressing elevated levels of aromatase stimulated tumor/host estrogen production and acquired agrowth advantage in the presence of host bone marrow cells.Overall, these findings suggest that local production of steroids and MMPs in the bone marrow may provide a suitable microenvironment for ALDHhigh prostate cancer cells to establish metastatic growths, offering new approaches to therapeutically target bone metastases.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Wegiel, Barbara, et al.
(author)
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Carbon monoxide expedites metabolic exhaustion to inhibit tumor growth
- 2013
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In: Cancer Research. - : American Association for Cancer Research. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 73:23, s. 7009-7021
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One classical feature of cancer cells is their metabolic acquisition of a highly glycolytic phenotype. Carbon monoxide (CO), one of the products of the cytoprotective molecule heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in cancer cells, has been implicated in carcinogenesis and therapeutic resistance. However, the functional contributions of CO and HO-1 to these processes are poorly defined. In human prostate cancers, we found that HO-1 was nuclear localized in malignant cells, with low enzymatic activity in moderately differentiated tumors correlating with relatively worse clinical outcomes. Exposure to CO sensitized prostate cancer cells but not normal cells to chemotherapy, with growth arrest and apoptosis induced in vivo in part through mitotic catastrophe. CO targeted mitochondria activity in cancer cells as evidenced by higher oxygen consumption, free radical generation, and mitochondrial collapse. Collectively, our findings indicated that CO transiently induces an anti-Warburg effect by rapidly fueling cancer cell bioenergetics, ultimately resulting in metabolic exhaustion.
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| 25. |
- Yang, Yaohua, et al.
(author)
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Genetic Data from Nearly 63,000 Women of European Descent Predicts DNA Methylation Biomarkers and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Risk
- 2019
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In: Cancer Research. - : AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH. - 0008-5472 .- 1538-7445. ; 79:3, s. 505-517
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- DNA methylation is instrumental for gene regulation. Global changes in the epigenetic landscape have been recognized as a hallmark of cancer. However, the role of DNA methylation in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains unclear. In this study, high-density genetic and DNA methylation data in white blood cells from the Framingham Heart Study (N = 1,595) were used to build genetic models to predict DNA methylation levels. These prediction models were then applied to the summary statistics of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of ovarian cancer including 22,406 EOC cases and 40,941 controls to investigate genetically predicted DNA methylation levels in association with EOC risk. Among 62,938 CpG sites investigated, genetically predicted methylation levels at 89 CpG were significantly associated with EOC risk at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of P < 7.94 x 10(-7). Of them, 87 were located at GWAS-identified EOC susceptibility regions and two resided in a genomic region not previously reported to be associated with EOC risk. Integrative analyses of genetic, methylation, and gene expression data identified consistent directions of associations across 12 CpG, five genes, and EOC risk, suggesting that methylation at these 12 CpG may influence EOC risk by regulating expression of these five genes, namely MAPT, HOXB3, ABHD8, ARHGAP27, and SKAP1. We identified novel DNA methylation markers associated with EOC risk and propose that methylation at multiple CpG may affect EOC risk via regulation of gene expression. Significance: Identification of novel DNA methylation markers associated with EOC risk suggests that methylation at multiple CpG may affect EOC risk through regulation of gene expression.
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