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Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke markedly increases the risk for lung cancer. Regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by miRNAs influences a variety of cancer-related interactomes. Yet, relatively little is known on the effects of long-term cigarette smoke exposure on miRNA expression and gene regulation. NCI-H292 (H292) is a cell line sensitive to cigarette smoke with mucoepidermoid characteristics in culture. We report, in this study, original observations on long-term (12 months) cigarette smoke effects in the H292 cell line, using microarray-based miRNA expression profiling, and stable isotopic labeling with amino acids in cell culture-based quantitative proteomic analysis. We identified 112 upregulated and 147 downregulated miRNAs (by twofold) in cigarette smoke-treated H292 cells. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis identified 3,959 proteins, of which, 303 proteins were overexpressed and 112 proteins downregulated (by twofold). We observed 39 miRNA target pairs (proven targets) that were differentially expressed in response to chronic cigarette smoke exposure. Gene ontology analysis of the target proteins revealed enrichment of proteins in biological processes driving metabolism, cell communication, and nucleic acid metabolism. Pathway analysis revealed the enrichment of phagosome maturation, antigen presentation pathway, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-mediated oxidative stress response, and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways in cigarette smoke-exposed cells. In conclusion, this report makes an important contribution to knowledge on molecular changes in a lung cell line in response to long term cigarette smoke exposure. The findings might inform future strategies for drug target, biomarker and diagnostics innovation in lung cancer, and clinical oncology. These observations also call for further research on the extent to which continuing or stopping cigarette smoking in patients diagnosed with lung cancer translates into molecular and clinical outcomes.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeted therapies have shown limited efficacy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients despite its overexpression. Identifying molecular mechanisms associated with acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs such as erlotinib remains an unmet need and a therapeutic challenge. In this study, we employed an integrated multi-omics approach to delineate mechanisms associated with acquired resistance to erlotinib by carrying out whole exome sequencing, quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiling. We observed amplification of several genes including AXL kinase and transcription factor YAP1 resulting in protein overexpression. We also observed expression of constitutively active mutant MAP2K1 (p.K57E) in erlotinib resistant SCC-R cells. An integrated analysis of genomic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic data revealed alterations in MAPK pathway and its downstream targets in SCC-R cells. We demonstrate that erlotinib-resistant cells are sensitive to MAPK pathway inhibition. This study revealed multiple genetic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic alterations associated with erlotinib resistant SCC-R cells. Our data indicates that therapeutic targeting of MAPK pathway is an effective strategy for treating erlotinib-resistant HNSCC tumors.

// Remya Raja 1, * , Nandini A. Sahasrabuddhe 1, * , Aneesha Radhakrishnan 1, 2, * , Nazia Syed 1, 2 , Hitendra S. Solanki 1, 3 , Vinuth N. Puttamallesh 1, 4 , Sai A. Balaji 5 , Vishalakshi Nanjappa 1, 4 , Keshava K. Datta 1, 3 , Niraj Babu 1 , Santosh Renuse 1, 4 , Arun H. Patil 1, 3 , Evgeny Izumchenko 6 , T.S. Keshava Prasad 1, 4, 11, 12 , Xiaofei Chang 6 , Annapoorni Rangarajan 5 , David Sidransky 6 , Akhilesh Pandey 7, 8, 9, 10 , Harsha Gowda 1, 11 , Aditi Chatterjee 1, 11 1 Institute of Bioinformatics, International Tech Park, Bangalore, 560 066, India 2 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India 3 School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751024, India 4 Amrita School of Biotechnology, Amrita University, Kollam, 690 525, India 5 Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India 6 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21231, USA 7 McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA 8 Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA 9 Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA 10 Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA 11 YU-IOB Center for Systems Biology and Molecular Medicine, Yenepoya University, Mangalore, 575018, India 12 NIMHANS-IOB Proteomics and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Neurobiology Research Centre, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Aditi Chatterjee, email: aditi@ibioinformatics.org Keywords: mass spectrometry, NSCLC, p21 (RAC1)-activated kinase 6, smoking Received: January 27, 2016 Accepted: August 08, 2016 Published: August 16, 2016 ABSTRACT Epidemiological data clearly establishes cigarette smoking as one of the major cause for lung cancer worldwide. Recently, targeted therapy has become one of the most preferred modes of treatment for cancer. Though certain targeted therapies such as anti-EGFR are in clinical practice, they have shown limited success in lung cancer patients who are smokers. This demands discovery of alternative drug targets through systematic investigation of cigarette smoke-induced signaling mechanisms. To study the signaling events activated in response to cigarette smoke, we carried out SILAC-based phosphoproteomic analysis of H358 lung cancer cells chronically exposed to cigarette smoke. We identified 1,812 phosphosites, of which 278 phosphosites were hyperphosphorylated (≥ 3-fold) in H358 cells chronically exposed to cigarette smoke. Our data revealed hyperphosphorylation of S560 within the conserved kinase domain of PAK6. Activation of PAK6 is associated with various processes in cancer including metastasis. Mechanistic studies revealed that inhibition of PAK6 led to reduction in cell proliferation, migration and invasion of the cigarette smoke treated cells. Further, siRNA mediated silencing of PAK6 resulted in decreased invasive abilities in a panel of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Consistently, mice bearing tumor xenograft showed reduced tumor growth upon treatment with PF-3758309 (group II PAK inhibitor). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed overexpression of PAK6 in 66.6% (52/78) of NSCLC cases in tissue microarrays. Taken together, our study indicates that PAK6 is a promising novel therapeutic target for NSCLC, especially in smokers.

Proteomics analysis of chronic cigarette smoke exposure is a rapidly emerging postgenomics research field. While smoking is a major cause of lung cancer, functional studies using proteomics approaches could enrich our mechanistic understanding of the elusive lung cancer global molecular signaling and cigarette smoke relationship. We report in this study on a stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture-based quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of a human lung mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line, H292 cells, chronically exposed to cigarette smoke. Using high resolution Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometer, we identified the hyperphosphorylation of 493 sites, which corresponds to 341 proteins and 195 hypophosphorylated sites, mapping to 142 proteins upon smoke exposure (2.0-fold change). We report differential phosphorylation of multiple kinases, including PAK6, EPHA4, LYN, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and phosphatases, including TMEM55B, PTPN14, TIGAR, among others, in response to chronic cigarette smoke exposure. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the molecules differentially phosphorylated upon chronic exposure of cigarette smoke are associated with PI3K/AKT/mTOR and CDC42-PAK signaling pathways. These signaling networks are involved in multiple cellular processes, including cell polarity, cytoskeletal remodeling, cellular migration, protein synthesis, autophagy, and apoptosis. The present study contributes to emerging proteomics insights on cigarette smoke mediated global signaling in lung cells, which in turn may aid in development of precision medicine therapeutics and postgenomics biomarkers.

Summary Objectives For patients with tobacco-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the occurrence of a second primary tumor (SPT) is an ominous development that is attributed to a field cancerization effect and portends a poor clinical outcome. The goal of this study was to determine whether patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related index tonsillar carcinomas can also develop SPTs in the contralateral tonsil, and to discern the molecular etiology of HPV-related tumor multifocality. Materials and methods The surgical pathology archives of The Johns Hopkins Hospital were searched for all patients with primary HPV-related tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma who developed a synchronous or metachronous carcinoma in the contralateral tonsil. The HPV-16 E6 exon was sequenced from each independent cancer site to determine whether the tumor pairs harbored the same or a different HPV-16 variant. Results Four patients with bilateral HPV-related tonsillar carcinomas were identified. In every case, the HPV DNA sequences derived from the index tumor and corresponding SPT were 100% concordant, indicating that the index and SPTs were caused by the same HPV-16 variant. Conclusion For the small subset of patients with tonsillar carcinomas who develop SPTs in the contralateral tonsil, the index case and the SPT consistently harbored the same HPV variant. This finding suggests that HPV-related tumor multi-focality can be attributed either to independent inoculation events by the same virus, or by migration of HPV-infected cells from a single inoculation site to other regions of Waldeyer’s ring.

EGF receptor (EGFR)–targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAb), such as cetuximab, execute their antitumor effect in vivo via blockade of receptor–ligand interactions and engagement of Fcγ receptors on immune effector cells that trigger antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). We show that tumors counteract the in vivo antitumor activity of anti-EGFR mAbs by increasing tumor cell-autonomous expression of TGF-β. We show that TGF-β suppresses the expression of key molecular effectors of immune cell–mediated cytotoxicity, including Apo2L/TRAIL, CD95L/FasL, granzyme B, and IFN-γ. In addition to exerting an extrinsic inhibition of the cytotoxic function of immune effectors, TGF-β–mediated activation of AKT provides an intrinsic EGFR-independent survival signal that protects tumor cells from immune cell–mediated apoptosis. Treatment of mice-bearing xenografts of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with cetuximab resulted in emergence of resistant tumor cells that expressed relatively higher levels of TGF-β compared with untreated tumor-bearing mice. Although treatment with cetuximab alone forced the natural selection of TGF-β–overexpressing tumor cells in nonregressing tumors, combinatorial treatment with cetuximab and a TGF-β–blocking antibody prevented the emergence of such resistant tumor cells and induced complete tumor regression. Therefore, elevated levels of TGF-β in the tumor microenvironment enable tumor cells to evade ADCC and resist the antitumor activity of cetuximab in vivo. Our results show that TGF-β is a key molecular determinant of the de novo and acquired resistance of cancers to EGFR-targeted mAbs, and provide a rationale for combinatorial targeting of TGF-β to improve anti-EGFR–specific antibody therapy of EGFR-expressing cancers. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(11); 2429–39. ©2012 AACR.

Anti-EGFR therapy is among the most promising molecular targeted therapies against cancer developed in the past decade. However, drug resistance eventually arises in most, if not all, treated patients. Emerging evidence has linked epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation at CpG islands, to the development of resistance to multiple anticancer drugs. In addition, genes that are differentially methylated have increasingly been appreciated as a source of clinically relevant biomarker candidates. To identify genes that are specifically methylated during the evolution of resistance to anti-EGFR therapeutic agents, we performed a methylation-specific array containing a panel of 56 genes that are commonly known to be regulated through promoter methylation in two parental non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines and their resistant derivatives to either erlotinib or cetuximab. We found that death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) was hypermethylated in drug-resistant derivatives generated from both parental cell lines. Restoration of DAPK into the resistant NSCLC cells by stable transfection re-sensitized the cells to both erlotinib and cetuximab. Conversely, siRNA-mediated knockdown of DAPK induced resistance in the parental sensitive cells. These results demonstrate that DAPK plays important roles in both cetuximab and erlotinib resistance, and that gene silencing through promoter methylation is one of the key mechanisms of developed resistance to anti-EGFR therapeutic agents. In conclusion, DAPK could be a novel target to overcome resistance to anti-EGFR agents to improve the therapeutic benefit, and further evaluation of DAPK methylation as a potential biomarker of drug response is needed.

Cisplatin is an effective anticancer drug used to treat many types of cancer, including non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLCs), but development of resistance is the primary impediment in cancer treatment. Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) is a secreted tumor suppressor that is inactivated in human lung cancer. IGFBP7 is known to alter sensitivity to interferon-based anticancer therapy, and here, we examined loss of IGFBP7 as a potential contributor to chemo-resistance to cisplatin. The transcriptional level of IGFBP7 was decreased in cisplatin-resistant human cancer cell lines and NSCLC xenografts. IGFBP7 knock-down increased cellular resistance to cisplatin and increased the level of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatases (MKP) 3 levels. The expression of MKP3 increased in a cisplatin-resistant NSCLC cell line and lung xenografts. MKP3 knock-down increased IGFBP7 level, indicating that MKP3 regulates IGFBP7. These findings suggest a novel molecular mechanism responsible for the tumor suppressive function of IGFBP7 in cisplatin-resistant human lung cancer and could lead to the development of IGFBP7 as a cisplatin-sensitizing agent.

For patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSqCC), the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) in the lung may signal a new primary or the onset of metastatic dissemination. Although the distinction influences prognosis and therapy, it may not be straightforward on histologic or clinical grounds. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is an etiologic agent for SqCCs arising from the oropharynx but not for SqCCs arising from other head and neck sites. For patients with HNSqCC who develop a lung SqCC, HPV analysis could be useful in establishing tumor relationships. High-risk HPV in situ hybridization was performed on 54 lung SqCCs from patients with a previously diagnosed HNSqCC and on 166 primary lung carcinomas from patients without a prior HNSqCC. HPV was detected in 11 of 220 (5%) cases. All HPV-positive cases were from patients with a prior oropharyngeal SqCC. For the paired oropharyngeal and lung SqCCs, HPV status was concordant in 95% of cases. Time from treatment of HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinomas to detection of lung carcinoma ranged from 1 to 97 months (mean, 36 mo). Two HPV-positive cancers were detected in the lung 8 years after treatment of the oropharyngeal primary. Despite the long interval, E6 sequencing analysis of 1 of these paired samples confirmed that the tumors harbored the same HPV-16 variant. HPV does not seem to play a role in the development of primary lung cancer. For patients with oropharyngeal SqCC who develop lung SqCC, HPV analysis may be helpful in clarifying tumor relationships. These relationships may not be obvious on clinical grounds, as HPV-related HNSqCC may metastasize long after treatment of the primary tumor.

BACKGROUND: A growing proportion of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). In light of the unique natural history and prognosis of HPV-related HNSCCs, routine HPV testing is being incorporated into diagnostic protocols. Accordingly, there is an escalating demand for an optimal detection strategy that is sensitive and specific, transferrable to the diagnostic laboratory, standardized across laboratories, cost-effective, and amenable to broad application across specimen types including cytologic preparations. METHODS: Cytologic preparations (fine-needle aspirates [FNAs] and brushes) were obtained from surgically resected HNSCCs and evaluated for the presence of high-risk HPV using the Hybrid Capture 2 assay. HPV analysis was also performed on the corresponding tissue sections using HPV in situ hybridization and p16 immunohistochemistry. In cases in which the immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization results were discordant, HPV status was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction detection of E7 expression. HPV status in the tissues and corresponding cytologic samples was compared. RESULTS: Based on benchmark HPV testing of the tissue sections, 14 HNSCCs were classified as HPV positive and 10 as HPV negative. All corresponding cytologic preparations were correctly classified using the Hybrid Capture 2 assay. CONCLUSIONS: The Hybrid Capture 2 strategy, already widely used for the detection of high-risk HPV in cervical brushes, is readily transferrable to HNSCCs. Consistent accuracy in cytologic preparation suggests its potential application in FNAs from patients who present with lymph node metastases, and may eliminate the need to obtain tissue solely for the purpose of HPV testing. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2012. © 2011 American Cancer Society.

ΔNp63α, the dominant negative isoform of the p63 family is an essential survival factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This isoform has been shown to be down regulated in response to several DNA damaging agents, thereby enabling an effective cellular response to genotoxic agents. Here, we identify a key molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of ΔNp63α expression in response to extrinsic stimuli, such as chemotherapeutic agents. We show that ΔNp63α interacts with NF-κΒ in presence of cisplatin. We find that NF-κΒ promotes ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of ΔNp63α. Chemotherapy-induced stimulation of NF-κΒ leads to degradation of ΔNp63α and augments trans-activation of p53 family-induced genes involved in the cellular response to DNA damage. Conversely, inhibition of NF-κΒ with siRNA-mediated silencing NF-κΒ expression attenuates chemotherapy induced degradation of ΔNp63α . These data demonstrate that NF-κΒ plays an essential role in regulating ΔNp63α in response to extrinsic stimuli. Our findings suggest that the activation of NF-κΒ may be a mechanism by which levels of ΔNp63α are reduced, thereby rendering the cells susceptible to cell death in the face of cellular stress or DNA damage.

Cisplatin is among the most widely used cytotoxic anticancer agents in solid tumors; however, the development of secondary resistance remains a major obstacle to clinical efficacy. Treatment-related DNA hypermethylation may play a role in creating drug-resistant phenotypes by inactivating genes that are required for cytotoxicity. We applied a pharmacologic unmasking approach to detect hypermethylated genes whose inactivation contributes to cisplatin resistance. Using three pairs of isogeneic, cisplatin-sensitive, and cisplatin-resistant cell lines derived from two parental cell lines (KB-3-1 and SCC25), we identified several hundred genes that were downregulated in each resistant cell line and reactivated by the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine. Among them, 30 genes were common to two or more cell lines and/or reported to be downregulated in previous studies. Bisulfite sequencing confirmed that 14 genes were hypermethylated in resistant cell lines but not in the sensitive parental cell lines. Six of 14 genes (SAT, C8orf4, LAMB3, TUBB, G0S2, and MCAM) were cisplatin inducible in sensitive but not in resistant cell lines. Small interfering RNA knockdown of two genes, SAT and S100P, increased cell viability with cisplatin treatment in sensitive parental cell lines. S100P knockdown significantly decreased the S-phase fraction of parental sensitive cell lines and slowed cell proliferation, which was associated with decreased sensitivity to cisplatin. Based on these findings, we conclude that DNA methylation is a frequent event in cells that are chronically exposed to cisplatin and that methylation-induced gene silencing may play a role in the development of resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. Cancer Res; 70(7); 2870–9

The pathogenesis of breast cancer involves multiple genetic and epigenetic events. In this study, we report an epigenetic alteration of DFNA5 in human breast cancer. DFNA5 gene was silenced in breast cancer cell lines that were methylated in the DFNA5 promoter, and restored by treatment with the demethylating agent, 5-aza-dC, and gene knock-down of DFNA5 increased cellular invasiveness in vitro. The mRNA expression of DFNA5 in breast cancer tissues was down-regulated as compared to normal tissues. Moreover, the DFNA5 promoter was found to be methylated in primary tumor tissues with high frequency (53%, 18/34). Quantitative methylation-specific PCR of DFNA5 clearly discriminated primary breast cancer tissues from normal breast tissues (15.3%, 2/13). Moreover, methylation status of DFNA5 was correlated with lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients. Our data implicate DFNA5 promoter methylation as a novel molecular biomarker in human breast cancer.

Salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare head and neck malignancy without molecular biomarkers that can be used to predict the chemotherapeutic response or prognosis of ACC. The regulation of gene expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) through DNA promoter methylation may play a role in the carcinogenesis of ACC. To identify differentially methylated genes in ACC, a global demethylating agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-AZA) was utilized to unmask putative TSG silencing in ACC xenograft models in mice. Fresh xenografts were passaged, implanted in triplicate in mice that were treated with 5-AZA daily for 28 days. These xenografts were then evaluated for genome-wide DNA methylation patterns using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip array. Validation of the 32 candidate genes was performed by bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) in a separate cohort of 6 ACC primary tumors and 6 normal control salivary gland tissues. Hypermethylation was identified in the HCN2 gene promoter in all 6 control tissues, but hypomethylation was found in all 6 ACC tumor tissues. Quantitative validation of HCN2 promoter methylation level in the region detected by BS-seq was performed in a larger cohort of primary tumors (n=32) confirming significant HCN2 hypomethylation in ACCs compared with normal samples (n=10; P=0.04). HCN2 immunohistochemical staining was performed on an ACC tissue microarray. HCN2 staining intensity and H-score, but not percentage of the positively stained cells, were significantly stronger in normal tissues than those of ACC tissues. With our novel screening and sequencing methods, we identified several gene candidates that were methylated. The most significant of these genes, HCN2, was actually hypomethylated in tumors. However, promoter methylation status does not appear to be a major determinant of HCN2 expression in normal and ACC tissues. HCN2 hypomethylation is a biomarker of ACC and may play an important role in the carcinogenesis of ACC.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are the predominant excitatory neurotransmitter receptors in the mammalian brain. We found that among the three NMDARs examined (NMDAR1, NMDAR2A, NMDAR2B), only NMDAR2A was silenced in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cell lines at basal line and reactivated by the demethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. NMDAR2A was expressed in normal colon epithelium, while expression was hardly detectable in colon cancer tissues. Promoter methylation of NMDAR2A was confirmed by bisulfite sequencing and combined bisulfite restriction analysis in the CRC cell lines and primary tumors. Quantitative methylation-specific PCR demonstrated NMDAR2A promoter hypermethylation in 82 of 100 primary human CRC, 15 of 100 normal corresponding epithelial tissues and 1 of 11 (9%) normal colon mucosa samples obtained from patients without cancer. Moreover, forced expression of full-length NMDAR2A in CRC cell lines induced apoptosis and almost abolished the ability of the cells to form colonies in culture, while NMDAR2A knockdown increased cell growth. Thus, NMDAR2A is commonly hypermethylated in primary human CRC and possesses tumor-suppressive activity.

Promoter hypermethylation is one of the common mechanisms leading to gene silencing in various human cancers. Using a combination of pharmacologic unmasking and microarray techniques, we identified 59 candidate hypermethylated genes, including LOXL1, a lysyl oxidase-like gene, in human bladder cancer cells. We further showed that LOXL1 and LOXL4 are commonly silenced genes in human bladder cancer cells, and this silence is predominantly related to promoter methylation. We also found LOXL1 and LOXL4 gene methylation and loss of expression in primary bladder tumors. In addition, somatic mutations were identified in LOXL4, but not in LOXL1 in bladder cancer. Moreover, reintroduction of LOXL1 and LOXL4 genes into human bladder cancer cells leads to a decrease of colony formation ability. Further studies indicated that the overexpression of LOXL1 and LOXL4 could antagonize Ras in activating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. Thus, our current study suggests for the first time that lysyl oxidase-like genes can act as tumor suppressor genes and exert their functions through the inhibition of the Ras/ERK signaling pathway in human bladder cancer. [Cancer Res 2007;67(9):4123–9]

Lungs resected for adenocarcinomas often harbour minute discrete foci of cytologically atypical pneumocyte proliferations designated as atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH). Evidence suggests that AAH represents an initial step in the progression to adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) and fully invasive adenocarcinoma. Despite efforts to identify predictive markers of malignant transformation, alterations driving this progression are poorly understood. Here we perform targeted next-generation sequencing on multifocal AAHs and different zones of histologic progression within AISs and MIAs. Multiregion sequencing demonstrated different genetic drivers within the same tumour and reveal that clonal expansion is an early event of tumorigenesis. We find that KRAS, TP53 and EGFR mutations are indicators of malignant transition. Utilizing droplet digital PCR, we find alterations associated with early neoplasms in paired circulating DNA. This study provides insight into the heterogeneity of clonal events in the progression of early lung neoplasia and demonstrates that these events can be detected even before neoplasms have invaded and acquired malignant potential., Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia is thought to be a precursor lesion for lung adenocarcinoma. Here, using targeted deep sequencing, the authors demonstrate that hyperplastic lesions contain somatic mutations associated with malignant disease and that these can be detected in circulating tumour cells.

3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM), an indole derivative produced on consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to have multiple anticancer effects in both in vivo and in vitro models. The present study was carried out to clarify the mechanism of DIM's antiangiogenic activity. We found that DIM can inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). Consistent with this inhibition, VEGF-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation was greatly reduced. However, VEGF receptor phosphorylation induced by VEGF was not affected by DIM, indicating that DIM does not exert a direct and specific effect on the tyrosine kinase activity of this receptor. Further studies showed that DIM had a similar inhibitory effect on ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by a variety of growth factors. Furthermore, Ras-GTP content, which dramatically increased after HUVECs were challenged by either individual growth factors or serum, was reduced by approximately 80% with 25 muM DIM treatment, which in turn resulted in the reduced activities of Raf and MEK, culminating in the drop of ERK1/2 activation. Overexpression of constitutively active GTPase mutant, Ras G12V, in HUVECs reversed the inhibitory effect of DIM on ERK1/2 activation. In a rodent Matrigel plug model, the presence of DIM strongly reduced VEGF-induced neovascularization, indicating that DIM is active in vivo. These data provide evidence that DIM inhibits Ras signaling induced by VEGF and other growth factors, which interferes with its downstream biological effects necessary for angiogenesis.

Studies have linked the consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables to a reduced risk of breast cancer. The phytochemical indole-3-carbinol (I3C), present in cruciferous vegetables, and its major acid-catalyzed reaction product 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) have bioactivities relevant to the inhibition of carcinogenesis. In this study, the effect of DIM on angiogenesis and tumorigenesis in a rodent model was investigated. We found that DIM produced a concentration-dependent decrease in proliferation, migration, invasion and capillary tube formation of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Consistent with its antiproliferative effect, which was significant at only 5 microM DIM, this indole caused a G1 cell cycle arrest in actively proliferating HUVECs. Furthermore, DIM downregulated the expression of cyclin-dependent kinases 2 and 6 (CDK2, CDK6), and upregulated the expression of CDK inhibitor, p27(Kip1), in HUVECs. We observed further in a complementary in vivo Matrigel plug angiogenesis assay that, compared with vehicle control, neovascularization was inhibited up to 76% following the administration of 5 mg/kg DIM to female C57BL/6 mice. Finally, this dose of DIM also inhibited the growth of human MCF-7 cell tumor xenografts by up to 64% in female athymic (nu/nu) mice, compared with the vehicle control. This is the first study to show that DIM can strongly inhibit the development of human breast tumor in a xenograft model and to provide evidence for the antiangiogenic properties of this dietary indole.

Background Dysregulation of miRNAs is associated with the development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is imperative to study the dysregulation of miRNAs by cigarette smoke which will affect their targets, either leading to the overexpression of oncoproteins or downregulation of tumor suppressor proteins. Objective and methods In this study, we carried out miRNA sequencing and SILAC-based proteomic analysis of H358 cells chronically exposed to cigarette smoke condensate. Using bioinformatics analysis, we mapped the dysregulated miRNAs to differentially expressed target proteins identified in our data. Gene ontology-based enrichment and pathway analysis was performed using the deregulated targets to study the role of cigarette smoke-mediated miRNA dysregulation in NSCLC cell line. Results miRNA sequencing resulted in the identification of 208 miRNAs, of which 6 miRNAs were found to be significantly dysregulated (2 fold, Log Base 2; p-value ≤ 0.05) in H358-Smoke cells. Proteomic analysis of the smoke exposed cells compared to the untreated parental cells resulted in the quantification of 2,610 proteins, of which 690 proteins were found to be differentially expressed (fold change ≥ 2). Gene ontology based analysis of target proteins revealed enrichment of proteins driving metabolism and a decrease in expression of proteins associated with immune response in the cells exposed to cigarette smoke. Pathway study using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) revealed activation of NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response and actin-cytoskeleton signaling, and repression of protein kinase A signaling in H358-Smoke cells. We also identified 5 novel miRNAs in H358-Smoke cells using unassigned reads of small RNA-Seq dataset. Conclusion In summary, this study indicates that chronic exposure to cigarette smoke leads to widespread dysregulation of miRNAs and their targets, resulting in signaling aberrations in NSCLC cell line. The miRNAs and their targets identified in the study need to be further investigated to explore their role as potential therapeutic targets and/or molecular markers in NSCLC especially in smokers.

Although specific mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) identify tumors that are responsive to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), these genetic alterations are present in only a minority of patients. Patients with tumors expressing wild-type EGFR lack reliable predictive markers of their clinical response to EGFR TKIs. Although epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been inversely correlated with the response of cancers to EGFR-targeted therapy, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying this association have not been defined and no specific EMT-associated biomarker of clinical benefit has been identified. Here, we show that during transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)–mediated EMT, inhibition of the microRNAs 200 (miR200) family results in upregulated expression of the mitogen-inducible gene 6 (MIG6), a negative regulator of EGFR. The MIG6-mediated reduction of EGFR occurs concomitantly with a TGFβ-induced EMT-associated kinase switch of tumor cells to an AKT-activated EGFR-independent state. In a panel of 25 cancer cell lines of different tissue origins, we find that the ratio of the expression levels of MIG6 and miR200c is highly correlated with EMT and resistance to erlotinib. Analyses of primary tumor xenografts of patient-derived lung and pancreatic cancers carrying wild-type EGFR showed that the tumor MIG6(mRNA)/miR200 ratio was inversely correlated with response to erlotinib in vivo. Our data demonstrate that the TGFβ–miR200–MIG6 network orchestrates the EMT-associated kinase switch that induces resistance to EGFR inhibitors, and identify a low ratio of MIG6 to miR200 as a promising predictive biomarker of the response of tumors to EGFR TKIs. Cancer Res; 74(14); 3995–4005. ©2014 AACR.

The sensitivity of only a few tumors to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can be explained by the presence of EGFR tyrosine kinase (TK) domain mutations. In addition, such mutations were rarely found in tumor types other than lung, such as pancreatic and head and neck cancer. In this study we sought to elucidate mechanisms of resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies in tumors that do not harbor TK sensitizing mutations in order to identify markers capable of guiding the decision to incorporate these drugs into chemotherapeutic regimens. Here we show that EGFR activity was markedly decreased during the evolution of resistance to the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) erlotinib, with a concomitant increase of mitogen-inducible gene 6 (Mig6), a negative regulator of EGFR through the upregulation of the PI3K-AKT pathway. EGFR activity, which was more accurately predicted by the ratio of Mig6/EGFR, highly correlated with erlotinib sensitivity in panels of cancer cell lines of different tissue origins. Blinded testing and analysis in a prospectively followed cohort of lung cancer patients treated with gefitinib alone demonstrated higher response rates and a marked increased in progression free survival for patients with a low Mig6/EGFR ratio (approximately 100 days, P = 0.01).

Silencing of tumor suppressor genes plays a vital role in head and neck carcinogenesis. Aberrant hypermethylation in the promoter region of some known or putative tumor suppressor genes occurs frequently during the development of various types of cancer including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study we used an expanded mRNA expression profiling approach followed by microarray expression analysis to identify epigenetically inactivated genes in HNSCC. Two HNSCC cell lines were treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine followed by microarray analysis to identify epigenetically silenced genes in HNSCC. We found 1,960, 614 and 427 genes were upregulated in the HNSCC cell lines JHU-012, JHU-011 and the combination of both cell lines, respectively. HNSCC tumor and normal mucosal samples were used for gene profiling by a 47K mRNA gene expression array and we found 7,140 genes were downregulated in HNSCC tumors compared to normal mucosa, as determined by microarray analysis, and were integrated with cell line data. Integrative analysis defined 126 candidate genes, of which only seven genes showed differential methylation in tumors and no methylation in normal mucosa after bisulfite sequencing. Following validation by QMSP, one gene, guanine nucleotide-binding protein γ-7 (GNG7), was confirmed to be highly methylated in tumors and unmethylated in normal mucosal and salivary rinse samples demonstrating cancer-specific methylation in HNSCC tissues. TXNIP and TUSC2 were partially methylated in tumors and normal salivary rinses but unmethylated in normal mucosa. We concluded that GNG7 is a highly specific promoter methylated gene associated with HNSCC. In addition, TXNIP and TUSC2 are also potential biomarkers for HNSCC.

The human cysteine dioxygenase 1 (CDO1) gene is a non-heme structured, iron-containing metalloenzyme involved in the conversion of cysteine to cysteine sulfinate, and plays a key role in taurine biosynthesis. In our search for novel methylated gene promoters, we have analyzed differential RNA expression profiles of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines with or without treatment of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. Among the genes identified, the CDO1 promoter was found to be differentially methylated in primary CRC tissues with high frequency compared to normal colon tissues. In addition, a statistically significant difference in the frequency of CDO1 promoter methylation was observed between primary normal and tumor tissues derived from breast, esophagus, lung, bladder and stomach. Downregulation of CDO1 mRNA and protein levels were observed in cancer cell lines and tumors derived from these tissue types. Expression of CDO1 was tightly controlled by promoter methylation, suggesting that promoter methylation and silencing of CDO1 may be a common event in human carcinogenesis. Moreover, forced expression of full-length CDO1 in human cancer cells markedly decreased the tumor cell growth in an in vitro cell culture and/or an in vivo mouse model, whereas knockdown of CDO1 increased cell growth in culture. Our data implicate CDO1 as a novel tumor suppressor gene and a potentially valuable molecular marker for human cancer.

Aberrant methylation of gene promoters and corresponding loss of gene expression plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. An IL-6-type cytokine receptor, leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR), is a component of cell-surface receptor complexes for multi-functional cytokines such as LIF. Herein, we report that LIFR is methylated in human colon cancer. LIFR promoter was methylated in primary tumor tissues with high frequency (65%, 52/80). Quantitative methylation-specific PCR (TaqMan-MSP) demonstrated differential promoter methylation of LIFR in primary colorectal cancer tissues as compared to normal colon tissues (5%, 4/80). LIFR methylation was not detectable in 13 normal colon mucosa samples obtained from patients without cancer. The mRNA expression of LIFR was significantly down-regulated in colon cancer tissues as compared to corresponding normal tissues. A strong expression of LIFR protein was observed in all non-malignant normal and adjacent normal colon mucosa tissues whereas down-regulated LIFR protein expression was observed in primary tumors. These results demonstrate that cancer-specific methylation and a specific decrease of LIFR expression are a common inactivation event in colon cancer development.

Like many carcinomas, urothelial carcinoma (UroCa) is associated with chronic injury. A better understanding of this association could inform improved strategies for preventing and treating this disease. We investigated the expression, regulation, and function of the transcriptional regulator SRY-related high-mobility group box 9 (Sox9) in urothelial development, injury repair, and cancer. In mouse bladders, Sox9 levels were high during periods of prenatal urothelial development and diminished with maturation after birth. In adult urothelial cells, Sox9 was quiescent but was rapidly induced by a variety of injuries, including exposure to the carcinogen cyclophosphamide, culture with hydrogen peroxide, and osmotic stress. Activation of extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) was required for Sox9 induction in urothelial injury and resulted from activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) by several Egfr ligands that were dramatically induced by injury. In UroCa cell lines, SOX9 expression was constitutively upregulated and could be suppressed by EGFR or ERK1/2 blockade. Gene knockdown showed a role for SOX9 in cell migration and invasion. Accordingly, SOX9 protein levels were preferentially induced in invasive human UroCa tissue samples (n = 84) compared with noninvasive cancers (n = 56) or benign adjacent urothelium (n = 49). These results identify a novel, potentially oncogenic signaling axis linking urothelial injury to UroCa. Inhibiting this axis is feasible through a variety of pharmacologic approaches and may have clinical utility. Cancer Res; 71(11); 3812–21. ©2011 AACR.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 can integrate into the host genome, thereby rendering the viral coding genes susceptible to epigenetic modification. Using bisulfite genomic sequencing, we determined the methylation status of all 110 CpG sites within the viral epigenome in advanced stage III/IV HPV-16–associated head and neck cancers. We found that the viral genome was hypomethylated in the majority of head and neck cancers, in particular within the viral regulatory region, long control region (LCR), which controls transcription of the E6 and E7 oncogenes. The hypomethylation status of LCR correlated with detectable levels of E6 and E7 expression, which suggests that the tumors may still be dependent on these viral oncogenes to maintain the malignant phenotype. In addition to the methylation status of LCR, we report other potential factors which may influence intratumoral E6 and E7 expression including viral copy number and integration site. We were able to detect the viral epigenetic alterations in sampled body fluids, such as serum and saliva, which correlated with the changes observed in the primary tumors. Because viral epigenetic changes occur in the setting of viral integration into the human genome, the detection of methylated HPV genes in the serum and/or saliva may have diagnostic potential for early detection strategies of viral integration and assessment of risk for cancer development in high-risk individuals. Our findings also support continued targeting of the E6 and/or E7 antigens through various vaccine strategies against HPV-associated cancers. Cancer Prev Res; 4(2); 207–17. ©2011 AACR.

Hypermethylation of gene promoters and the corresponding loss of gene expression are recognized as a hallmark of human cancer, and DNA methylation has emerged as a promising biomarker for the detection of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). To identify novel genes methylated in ESCC, we screened 35 candidate genes identified from an oligonucleotide microarray. Among them, the heat shock protein B2 (HSPB2) was methylated in 95.7% (67/70) of primary ESCCs, whereas no methylation was found in normal esophageal tissues from ESCC patients (0%, 0/20). RT-PCR analysis revealed that HSPB2 expression was silenced or weakly expressed in most ESCC cell lines, and re-activated by the demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxy-cytidine. These results indicate that promoter methylation of HSPB2 is one of the causal factors for loss or down-regulation of HSPB2 expression. mRNA expression of HSPB2 in ESCC tissues was significantly down-regulated compared to normal tissues. Our data suggest that promoter methylation of HSPB2 deserves further attention as a novel molecular biomarker in human ESCC.

Silencing of tumor suppressor genes plays a vital role in head and neck carcinogenesis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate to the utility of aberrant promoter hypermethylation for detection in a panel of 10 genes (KIF1A, EDNRB, CDH4, TERT, CD44, NISCH, PAK3, VGF, MAL and FKBP4) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) via a candidate gene approach. We investigated methylation of the gene promoters by bisulfite modification and quantitative methylation-specific PCR (Q-MSP) in a preliminary study of a limited cohort of salivary rinses from healthy subjects (n = 61) and patients with HNSCC (n = 33). The methylation status of 2 selected genes (EDNRB and KIF1A) were then analyzed in 15 normal mucosa samples from a healthy population, 101 HNSCC tumors and the corresponding salivary rinses from 71 out of the 101 HNSCC patients were collected before treatment. The promoter regions of CDH4, TERT, VGF, MAL, FKBP4, NISCH and PAK3 were methylated in normal salivary rinses while no methylation of CD44 was observed in either normal salivary rinses or tumor samples. However, KIF1A and EDNRB were methylated in 98 and 97% of primary HNSCC tissues respectively and were only methylated in 2 and 6.6% of normal salivary rinses. In addition, KIF1A and EDNRB were methylated in 38 and 67.6% of salivary rinses from HNSCC patients, respectively. Promoter hypermethylation of KIF1A and EDNRB is a frequent event in primary HNSCC, and these genes are preferentially methylated in salivary rinses from HNSCC patients. KIF1A and EDNRB are potential biomarkers for HNSCC detection.

The p53 family (p53, p73, p63) plays an instrumental role in the cellular stress response, including induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to DNA damage (1, 2). In addition to p63 and p73 isotypes capable of transactivating downstream target gene expression (TA isotypes), both genes also express dominant negative inhibitory isoforms, such as ΔNp63α. ΔNp63α is degraded in response to DNA damaging agents, thereby enabling an effective cellular response to genotoxic agents. Here, we identify a key molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of ΔNp63α expression in response to extrinsic stimuli, such as chemotherapeutic agents or TNF-α. We show that ΔNp63α interacts with IκB kinase (IKK), a multisubunit protein kinase that consists of two catalytic subunits, IKKα and IKKβ, and a regulatory subunit, IKKγ (NEMO-NF-κB essential modifier). We find that IKKβ kinase promotes ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of ΔNp63α, whereas a kinase-deficient mutant IKKβ-K44A fails to do so. Cytokine- or chemotherapy-induced stimulation of IKKβ leads to degradation of ΔNp63α and augments trans-activation of p53 family-induced genes involved in the cellular response to DNA damage. Conversely, inhibition of IKKβ with a NEMO-binding peptide or siRNA-mediated silencing IKKβ expression attenuates cytokine- or chemotherapy induced degradation of ΔNp63α. These data demonstrate that IKKβ plays an essential role in regulating ΔNp63α in response to extrinsic stimuli. Our findings suggest that the activation of IKK may be a mechanism by which levels of ΔNp63α are reduced, thereby rendering the cells susceptible to cell death in the face of cellular stress or DNA damage.

Regulation of DeltaNp63alpha can be achieved at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, with the latter being greatly influenced by external stimuli such as DNA damaging agents. In this present study, we demonstrated that DeltaNp63alpha physical interacts with Yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1). Ectopic expression of Yap1 decreased the stability and the half-like of DeltaNp63alpha and resulted in ubiquitin-dependent degradation of DeltaNp63alpha. Further, the cisplatin mediated degradation of DeltaNp63alpha is attenuated with the downregulation of Yap1. Thus, our results strongly suggest that Yap1 plays a role in the regulation of endogenous DeltaNp63alpha levels and is likely to contribute to the regulation of DeltaNp63alpha, in physiological conditions.

DeltaNp63alpha, the dominant negative isoform of the p63 family is an essential survival factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This isoform has been shown to be down regulated in response to several DNA damaging agents, including cisplatin. But little is understood about the post-translational protein stability of DeltaNp63alpha. In this present study we demonstrate for the first time that DeltaNp63alpha physically interacts with U-box-type E4 ubiquitin ligase UFD2a. UFD2a stabilizes DeltaNp63alpha, and ubiquitylation of DeltaNp63alpha is attenuated by UFD2a both in the presence and absence of cisplatin. Ectopic expression of UFD2a increased the half-life of DeltaNp63alpha in association with a significant enhancement of the repressive transcriptional activity of DeltaNp63alpha. Downregulation of endogenous UFD2a by RNAi resulted in degradation of DeltaNp63alpha. Taken together, our current study provides an insight onto the regulation of DeltaNp63alpha protein levels in response to cisplatin and also suggests that UFD2a might play an important role in the regulation of cisplatin mediated cell death mediated by p63.

2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME), an endogenous estrogen metabolite of 17beta-estradiol, is known to induce mitochondria-mediated apoptosis through several mechanisms. We sought to study the effect of mitochondrialy targeted hOGG1 (MTS-hOGG1) on HeLa cells exposed to 2-ME. MTS-hOGG1-expressing cells exposed to 2-ME showed increased cellular survival and had significantly less G(2)/M cell cycle arrest compared to vector-only-transfected cells. In addition, 2-ME exposure resulted in an increase in mitochondrial membrane potential, increased apoptosis, accompanied by higher activation of caspase-3, -9, cleavage of Bid to tBid and protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage in HeLa cells lacking MTS-hOGG1. Fas inhibitors cerulenin or C75 inhibited 2-ME-induced caspase activation, PARP cleavage, apoptosis and reversed mitochondrial membrane hyperpolarization, thereby recapitulating the increased expression of MTS-hOGG1. Hence, MTS-hOGG1 plays an important protective role against 2-ME-mediated mitochondrial damage by blocking apoptosis induced through the Fas pathway.

To identify novel methylated gene promoters, we compared differential RNA expression profiles of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines with or without treatment of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). Out of 1776 genes that were initially 'absent (that is, silenced)' by gene expression array analysis, we selected 163 genes that were increased after 5-aza-dC treatment in at least two of three CRC cell lines. The microarray results were confirmed by Reverse Transcription-PCR, and CpG island of the gene promoters were amplified and sequenced for examination of cancer-specific methylation. Among the genes identified, the deafness, autosomal dominant 5 gene, DFNA5, promoter was found to be methylated in primary tumor tissues with high frequency (65%, 65/100). Quantitative methylation-specific PCR of DFNA5 clearly discriminated primary CRC tissues from normal colon tissues (3%, 3/100). The mRNA expression of DFNA5 in four of five colon cancer tissues was significantly downregulated as compared to normal tissues. Moreover, forced expression of full-length DFNA5 in CRC cell lines markedly decreased the cell growth and colony-forming ability whereas knockdown of DFNA5 increased cell growth in culture. Our data implicate DFNA5 as a novel tumor suppressor gene in CRC and a valuable molecular marker for human cancer.

Purpose: To investigate whether the promoter methylation pattern in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 2B (NMDAR2B) is correlated with clinical features of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the methylation status of the gene was examined at three different sites (P1, P2, and P3) where two CpG islands reside within 1 kb upstream of the transcription start site. Experimental Design: Three independent modalities for methylation analysis (bisulfite sequencing, combined bisulfite restriction analysis, and TaqMan methylation-specific PCR) were done to analyze total 67 ESCC tissues that included 43 primary tumors with well-characterized clinicopathologic variables including patient outcome. Results: Using an optimized cutoff value based on quantitative methylation-specific PCR, we found that patients with higher NMDAR2B methylation ratio in the proximal region (P1) showed a worse 5-year disease-specific survival rate than those without NMDAR2B methylation (P < 0.006). A significant correlation was also seen between NMDAR2B promoter methylation and the presence of vascular permeation (P = 0.03). Conclusion: NMDAR2B promoter methylation could be a clinically applicable marker in ESCC.

NMDA receptor Type 2B (NMDAR2B) is a candidate TSG first identified in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). To evaluate NMDAR2B methylation in gastric cancer progression, we performed quantitative methylation-specific PCR (MSP), RT-PCR and immnunohistochemistry (IHC) in primary gastric tissues and colony formation assays in gastric cancer cell lines. We found that the expression of NMDAR2B was reactivated by the demethylating agent, 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine, with or without trichostatin A in gastric cancer cell lines. Moreover, inactivation of NMDAR2B was found to be closely correlated with promoter methylation status in gastric cell lines and primary gastric tumors. IHC data also showed that NMDAR2B was specifically expressed in gastric epithelial cells and its expression was diminished or absent in gastric cancer epithelium. Quantitative analysis of NMDAR2B promoter methylation showed 61% (17/28) hypermethylation in primary gastric tumors versus 5% (1/20) in normal gastric tissues from nongastric cancer patients. Forced over-expression of NMDAR2B in gastric cancer cell lines significantly inhibited cell colony formation. Taken together, the above results suggest that NMDAR2B methylation is a common and important biologically relevant event in gastric cancer progression. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Triple negative breast cancer has an extremely poor prognosis when chemotherapy is no longer effective. To overcome drug resistance, novel drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles have had remarkable success. We produced a novel nanoparticle component 'MDC' from milk-derived colloid. In order to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of MDC, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments on cancer cell lines and a primary tumor derived breast xenograft. Doxorubicin (Dox) conjugated to MDC (MDC-Dox) showed higher cancer cell growth inhibition than MDC alone especially in cell lines with high EGFR expression. In a mouse melanoma model, MDC-Dox significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared with free Dox. Moreover, in a primary tumor derived breast xenograft, one of the mice treated with MDC-Dox showed partial regression, while mice treated with free Dox failed to show any suppression of tumor growth. We have shown that a novel nanoparticle compound made of simple milk-derived colloid has the capability for drug conjugation, and serves as a tumor-specific carrier of anti-cancer drugs. Further research on its safety and ability to carry various anti-cancer drugs into multiple drug-resistant primary breast models is warranted.

Aerobic glycolysis and mitochondrial dysfunction are common features of aggressive cancer growth. We observed promoter methylation and loss of expression in neurofilament heavy polypeptide (NEFH) in a significant proportion of primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) samples that were of a high tumor grade and advanced stage. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of NEFH accelerated ESCC cell growth in culture and increased tumorigenicity in vivo, whereas forced expression of NEFH significantly inhibited cell growth and colony formation. Loss of NEFH caused up-regulation of pyruvate kinase-M2 type and down-regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase, via activation of the Akt/beta-catenin pathway, resulting in enhanced aerobic glycolysis and mitochondrial dysfunction. The acceleration of glycolysis and mitochondrial dysfunction in NEFH-knockdown cells was suppressed in the absence of beta-catenin expression, and was decreased by the treatment of 2-Deoxyglucose, a glycolytic inhibitor, or API-2, an Akt inhibitor. Loss of NEFH activates the Akt/beta-catenin pathway and increases glycolysis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Cancer cells with methylated NEFH can be targeted for destruction with specific inhibitors of deregulated downstream pathways.