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Journal of Translational Medicine Apr 2024The mesenchymal subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC), associated with poor prognosis, is characterized by abundant expression of the cellular prion protein PrP, which...
BACKGROUND
The mesenchymal subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC), associated with poor prognosis, is characterized by abundant expression of the cellular prion protein PrP, which represents a candidate therapeutic target. How PrP is induced in CRC remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the signaling pathways governing PrP expression and to shed light on the gene regulatory networks linked to PrP.
METHODS
We performed in silico analyses on diverse datasets of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of mouse CRC and patient cohorts. We mined ChIPseq studies and performed promoter analysis. CRC cell lines were manipulated through genetic and pharmacological approaches. We created mice combining conditional inactivation of Apc in intestinal epithelial cells and overexpression of the human prion protein gene PRNP. Bio-informatic analyses were carried out in two randomized control trials totalizing over 3000 CRC patients.
RESULTS
In silico analyses combined with cell-based assays identified the Wnt-β-catenin and glucocorticoid pathways as upstream regulators of PRNP expression, with subtle differences between mouse and human. We uncover multiple feedback loops between PrP and these two pathways, which translate into an aggravation of CRC pathogenesis in mouse. In stage III CRC patients, the signature defined by PRNP-CTNNB1-NR3C1, encoding PrP, β-catenin and the glucocorticoid receptor respectively, is overrepresented in the poor-prognosis, mesenchymal subtype and associates with reduced time to recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS
An unleashed PrP-dependent vicious circle is pathognomonic of poor prognosis, mesenchymal CRC. Patients from this aggressive subtype of CRC may benefit from therapies targeting the PRNP-CTNNB1-NR3C1 axis.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Prion Proteins; beta Catenin; Glucocorticoids; Colonic Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Phenotype; Prognosis; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Cell Line, Tumor
PubMed: 38589873
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05164-0 -
Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine Apr 2024Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations of the NTRK1 gene,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations of the NTRK1 gene, affecting the autonomic and sensory nervous system. Clinical manifestation is varied and includes recurrent fever, pain insensitivity, anhidrosis, self-mutilating behavior, and intellectual disability.
METHODS
Clinical and genetic features were assessed in two males and one female with genetically confirmed CIPA using exome or genome sequencing.
RESULTS
CIPA symptoms including recurrent fever, pain insensitivity, and anhidrosis manifested at the age of 1 year (age range: 0.3-8 years). Two patients exhibited self-mutilation tendencies, intellectual disability, and developmental delay. Four NTRK1 (NM_002529.3) mutations, c.851-33T>A (p.?), c.2020G>T (p.Asp674Tyr), c.2303C>T (p.Pro768Leu), and c.574-156_850+1113del (exons 5-7 del) were identified. Two patients exhibited early onset and severe phenotype, being homozygous for c.851-33T>A (p.?) mutations and compound heterozygous for c.851-33T>A (p.?) and c.2020G>T (p.Asp674Tyr) mutation of NTRK1. The third patient with compound heterozygous mutations of c.2303C>T (p.Pro768Leu) and c.574-156_850+1113del (exons 5-7 del) displayed a late onset and milder clinical manifestation.
CONCLUSION
All three patients exhibited variable phenotypes and disease severity. This research enriches our understanding of clinical and genetic aspects of CIPA, highlighting variable phenotypes and disease severity.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Channelopathies; Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathies; Hypohidrosis; Indoles; Intellectual Disability; Pain; Pain Insensitivity, Congenital; Propionates
PubMed: 38581121
DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.2430 -
World Journal of Gastrointestinal... Mar 2024Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a molecularly heterogeneous disease and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The traditional... (Review)
Review
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a molecularly heterogeneous disease and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The traditional classification of CRC is based on pathomorphological and molecular characteristics of tumor cells (mucinous, ring-cell carcinomas, ), analysis of mechanisms of carcinogenesis involved (chromosomal instability, microsatellite instability, CpG island methylator phenotype) and mutational statuses of commonly altered genes (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, APC, ), as well as expression signatures (CMS 1-4). It is also suggested that the tumor microenvironment is a key player in tumor progression and metastasis in CRC. According to the latest data, the immune microenvironment can also be predictive of the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this review, we highlight how the immune environment influences CRC prognosis and sensitivity to systemic therapy.
PubMed: 38577454
DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i3.643 -
Oncology Letters May 2024Trefoil factor family member 2 () is significantly involved in intestinal tumor growth in mice, which can be used as a human colon cancer model. , which encodes TFF2...
Trefoil factor family member 2 () is significantly involved in intestinal tumor growth in mice, which can be used as a human colon cancer model. , which encodes TFF2 (spasmolytic protein 1) is highly expressed in human cancer tissues, including the pancreas, colon and bile ducts, as well as in normal gastric and duodenum tissues. By contrast, exhibits low expression levels in other normal tissues, including the small and large intestine. Furthermore, expression has not been detected in DLD-1 cells, a cell line derived from human colon cancer. What induces expression in normal and tumor cells is still unknown. Highly malignant tumor tissues are characterized by higher temperatures and lower pH (6.2-6.9) than in normal tissues, where normal pH ranges from 7.2 to 7.4. This microenvironment exacerbates malignancy by promoting the acquisition of cell death resistance, drug resistance and immune escape. Therefore, the present study examined how expression is affected in cultured cells that imitate the tumor tissue microenvironment. The incubation temperature was increased from 37 to 40°C, but no expression of was induced. Subsequently, a culture solution with an acidic pH was prepared to simulate the Warburg effect in tumors. expression was increased by 42.8- and 5.8-fold in cells cultured in acidic medium at pH 6.5 and 6.8 compared with at pH 7.4, respectively, as determined using the relative quantification method following quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The present study also analyzed fluctuations in the expression levels of genes other than , under acidic conditions. Acidic conditions upregulated the expression of genes related to cell membranes and glycoproteins, based on the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. In conclusion, was highly expressed under acidic conditions, implying that it may have an important function in protecting the plasma membrane from acidic environments in both normal and cancer cells. These findings warrant further investigation of as a target of cancer therapy and diagnosis.
PubMed: 38572063
DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14345 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Apr 2024Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmunity and inflammation. A proportion of Treg cells can lose Foxp3...
BACKGROUND
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmunity and inflammation. A proportion of Treg cells can lose Foxp3 expression and become unstable under inflammation conditions. The precise mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear.
METHODS
The PI16 gene knockout mice (PI16Foxp3) in Treg were constructed, and the genotypes were identified. The proportion and phenotypic differences of immune cells in 8-week-old mice were detected by cell counter and flow cytometry. Two groups of mouse Naïve CD4T cells were induced to differentiate into iTreg cells to observe the effect of PI16 on the differentiation and proliferation of iTreg cells, CD4CD25Treg and CD4CD25 effector T cells (Teff) were selected and co-cultured with antigen presenting cells (APC) to observe the effect of PI16 on the inhibitory ability of Treg cells in vitro. The effects of directed knockout of PI16 in Treg cells on inflammatory symptoms, histopathological changes and immune cell expression in mice with enteritis and autoimmune arthritis were observed by constructing the model of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) and colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS).
RESULTS
We identified peptidase inhibitor 16 (PI16) as a negative regulator of Treg cells. Our findings demonstrate that conditional knock-out of PI16 in Tregs significantly enhances their differentiation and suppressive functions. The conditional knockout of the PI16 gene resulted in a significantly higher abundance of Foxp3 expression (35.12 ± 5.71% vs. 20.00 ± 1.61%, p = 0.034) in iTreg cells induced in vitro compared to wild-type mice. Mice with Treg cell-specific PI16 ablation are protected from autoimmune arthritis (AIA) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis development. The AIA model of PI16 is characterized by the reduction of joint structure and the attenuation of synovial inflammation and in DSS-induced colitis model, conditional knockout of the PI16 reduce intestinal structural damage. Additionally, we found that the deletion of the PI16 gene in Treg can increase the proportion of Treg (1.46 ± 0.14% vs. 0.64 ± 0.07%, p < 0.0001) and decrease the proportion of Th17 (1.00 ± 0.12% vs. 3.84 ± 0.64%, p = 0.001). This change will enhance the shift of Th17/Treg toward Treg cells in AIA arthritis model (0.71 ± 0.06% vs. 8.07 ± 1.98%, p = 0.003). In DSS-induced colitis model of PI16, the proportion of Treg in spleen was significantly increased (1.40 ± 0.15% vs. 0.50 ± 0.11%, p = 0.003), Th17 (2.18 ± 0.55% vs. 6.42 ± 1.47%, p = 0.017), Th1 (3.42 ± 0.19% vs. 6.59 ± 1.28%, p = 0.028) and Th2 (1.52 ± 0.27% vs. 2.76 ± 0.38%, p = 0.018) in spleen was significantly decreased and the Th17/Treg balance swift toward Treg cells (1.44 ± 0.50% vs. 24.09 ± 7.18%, p = 0.012).
CONCLUSION
PI16 plays an essential role in inhibiting Treg cell differentiation and function. Conditional knock out PI16 gene in Treg can promote the Treg/Th17 balance towards Treg dominance, thereby alleviating the condition. Targeting PI16 may facilitate Treg cell-based therapies for preventing autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases. The research provides us with novel insights and future research avenues for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, particularly arthritis and colitis.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Arthritis; Autoimmune Diseases; Cell Differentiation; Colitis; Dextran Sulfate; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Inflammation; Mice, Inbred C57BL; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Th17 Cells
PubMed: 38566233
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05082-1 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Mar 2024We previously established the scaffold protein 14-3-3ζ as a critical regulator of adipogenesis and adiposity, but the temporal specificity of its action during...
We previously established the scaffold protein 14-3-3ζ as a critical regulator of adipogenesis and adiposity, but the temporal specificity of its action during adipocyte differentiation remains unclear. To decipher if 14-3-3ζ exerts its regulatory functions on mature adipocytes or on adipose precursor cells (APCs), we generated 14-3-3ζKO and 14-3-3ζKO mouse models. Our findings revealed a pivotal role for 14-3-3ζ in APC differentiation in a sex-dependent manner, whereby male and female 14-3-3ζKO mice display impaired or potentiated weight gain, respectively, as well as fat mass. To better understand how 14-3-3ζ regulates the adipogenic transcriptional program in APCs, CRISPR-Cas9 was used to generate TAP-tagged 14-3-3ζ-expressing 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Using these cells, we examined if the 14-3-3ζ nuclear interactome is enriched with adipogenic regulators during differentiation. Regulators of chromatin remodeling, such as DNMT1 and HDAC1, were enriched in the nuclear interactome of 14-3-3ζ, and their activities were impacted upon 14-3-3ζ depletion. The interactions between 14-3-3ζ and chromatin-modifying enzymes suggested that 14-3-3ζ may control chromatin remodeling during adipogenesis, and this was confirmed by ATAC-seq, which revealed that 14-3-3ζ depletion impacted the accessibility of up to 1,244 chromatin regions corresponding in part to adipogenic genes, promoters, and enhancers during the initial stages of adipogenesis. Moreover, 14-3-3ζ-dependent chromatin accessibility was found to directly correlate with the expression of key adipogenic genes. Altogether, our study establishes 14-3-3ζ as a crucial epigenetic regulator of adipogenesis and highlights the usefulness of deciphering the nuclear 14-3-3ζ interactome to identify novel pro-adipogenic factors and pathways.
PubMed: 38562727
DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.18.585495 -
MedRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Mar 2024Ancestrally diverse and admixed populations, including the Hispanic/Latino/a/x/e community, are underrepresented in cancer genetic and genomic studies. Leveraging the...
UNLABELLED
Ancestrally diverse and admixed populations, including the Hispanic/Latino/a/x/e community, are underrepresented in cancer genetic and genomic studies. Leveraging the Latino Colorectal Cancer Consortium, we analyzed whole exome sequencing data on tumor/normal pairs from 718 individuals with colorectal cancer (128 Latino, 469 non-Latino) to map somatic mutational features by ethnicity and genetic ancestry. Global proportions of African, East Asian, European, and Native American ancestries were estimated using ADMIXTURE. Associations between global genetic ancestry and somatic mutational features across genes were examined using logistic regression. , , and were the most recurrently mutated genes. Compared to non-Latino individuals, tumors from Latino individuals had fewer (OR=0.64, 95%CI=0.41-0.97, p=0.037) and mutations (OR=0.55, 95%CI=0.31-0.98, p=0.043). Genetic ancestry was associated with presence of somatic mutations in 39 genes (FDR-adjusted LRT p<0.05). Among these genes, a 10% increase in African ancestry was associated with significantly higher odds of mutation in (OR=1.34, 95%CI=1.09-1.66, p=5.74×10 ) and (OR=1.53, 95%CI=1.10-2.12, p=0.011). Among RMGs, we found evidence of association between genetic ancestry and mutation status in (LRT p=0.0084) and between mutation status and AFR ancestry (OR=1.14, 95%CI=1.00-1.30, p=0.046). Ancestry was not associated with tumor mutational burden. Individuals with above-average Native American ancestry had a lower frequency of microsatellite instable (MSI-H) vs microsatellite stable tumors (OR=0.45, 95%CI=0.21-0.99, p=0.048). Our findings provide new knowledge about the relationship between ancestral haplotypes and somatic mutational profiles that may be useful in developing precision medicine approaches and provide additional insight into genomic contributions to cancer disparities.
SIGNIFICANCE
Our data in ancestrally diverse populations adds essential information to characterize mutational features in the colorectal cancer genome. These results will help enhance equity in the development of precision medicine strategies.
PubMed: 38558992
DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.11.24303880 -
Journal of Cancer Research and... Jan 2024Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest preneoplastic lesions in human colon, identifiable on chromoendoscopic screening. Our objective was to evaluate the...
BACKGROUND
Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest preneoplastic lesions in human colon, identifiable on chromoendoscopic screening. Our objective was to evaluate the %methylation of APC, CDKN2A, MLH1, RASSF1, MGMT, and WIF1 tumor suppressor genes (TSG) in ACF, corresponding colorectal carcinomas (CRC), and normal colonic mucosal controls.
METHODS
In this study, macroscopically normal-appearing mucosal flaps were sampled 5-10 cm away from the tumor mass from 302 fresh colectomy specimens to identify ACF-like lesions. Thirty-five cases with multiple ACFs were selected (n 35) as the main study group, with corresponding sections from CRC (n 35) as disease controls, and mucosal tissue blocks from 20 colectomy specimens (normal controls), operated for non-neoplastic pathologies. Genomic DNA was extracted, and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on a customized methylation array model. %Methylation data were compared among the groups and with clinicopathological parameters. Selected target mRNA and protein expression studies were performed.
RESULTS
%Methylation of TSGs in ACF was intermediate between normal colon and CRC, although a statistically significant difference was observed only for the WIF1 gene (P < 0.01). Also, there was increased nuclear β-catenin expression and upregulation of CD44-positive cancer-stem cells in ACF and CRCs than in controls. Right-sided ACFs and dysplastic ACFs had a higher %methylation of CDKN2A (P < 0.01), whereas hyperplastic ACFs had a higher %methylation of RASSF1 (P 0.04). The topographic characteristics of ACFs did not correlate with TSG %methylation.
CONCLUSIONS
Early epigenetic methylation of WIF1 gene is one of the mechanisms for ACF development in human colon.
Topics: Humans; Aberrant Crypt Foci; Colorectal Neoplasms; Colon; Hyperplasia; Methylation; Genes, Tumor Suppressor; Precancerous Conditions; Colonic Neoplasms; Intestinal Mucosa
PubMed: 38554332
DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_1573_22 -
NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes Mar 2024Crosstalk of microbes with human gut epithelia and immune cells is crucial for gut health. However, there is no existing system for a long-term co-culture of human...
Crosstalk of microbes with human gut epithelia and immune cells is crucial for gut health. However, there is no existing system for a long-term co-culture of human innate immune cells with epithelium and oxygen-intolerant commensal microbes, hindering the understanding of microbe-immune interactions in a controlled manner. Here, we established a gut epithelium-microbe-immune (GuMI) microphysiological system to maintain the long-term continuous co-culture of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii/Faecalibacterium duncaniae with colonic epithelium, antigen-presenting cells (APCs, herein dendritic cells and macrophages), and CD4 naive T cells circulating underneath the colonic epithelium. In GuMI-APC condition, multiplex cytokine assays suggested that APCs contribute to the elevated level of cytokines and chemokines secreted into both apical and basolateral compartments compared to GuMI condition that lacks APC. In GuMI-APC with F. prausnitzii (GuMI-APC-FP), F. prausnitzii increased the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes such as toll-like receptor 1 (TLR1) and interferon alpha 1 (IFNA1) in the colonic epithelium, without a significant effect on cytokine secretion, compared to the GuMI-APC without bacteria (GuMI-APC-NB). In contrast, in the presence of CD4 naive T cells (GuMI-APCT-FP), TLR1, IFNA1, and IDO1 transcription levels decreased with a simultaneous increase in F. prausnitzii-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL8) compared to GuMI-APC-FP that lacks T cells. These results highlight the contribution of individual innate immune cells in regulating the immune response triggered by the gut commensal F. prausnitzii. The integration of defined populations of immune cells in the gut microphysiological system demonstrated the usefulness of GuMI physiomimetic platform to study microbe-epithelial-immune interactions in healthy and disease conditions.
Topics: Humans; Faecalibacterium prausnitzii; Microphysiological Systems; Toll-Like Receptor 1; Cytokines; Inflammation
PubMed: 38553449
DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00501-z -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor and has been linked to known cancer predisposition syndromes. We report a case of medulloblastoma of a...
Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor and has been linked to known cancer predisposition syndromes. We report a case of medulloblastoma of a 12-year-old Indo-Trinidadian female with a strong family history of colorectal carcinoma. In collaboration with the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (SCI), her tumor was confirmed to be a WHO grade 4 medulloblastoma - Wnt subtype. Genetic testing further confirmed the presence of a pathogenic APC gene variant [c.3183_3187del (p.Gln1062*)] which led to a diagnosis of Turcot syndrome type 2. The index patient received multimodal therapy which included surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and is currently post end-of-treatment and in remission. This case report aims to highlight the complexity of diseases and the need for expertise in identifying them in low-and-middle income countries, the need for access to specialized testing and the benefits of collaborating between low-and-middle income and high-income countries when managing complex oncology patients.
PubMed: 38549930
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1331271