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Supplementary Material. Description of data: Table S1. Target regions for probe design for targeted sequencing. Coordinates were extracted using genome assembly GRCh37/hg19. Figure S1. Representative staining images. a) Weak-to-moderate FGFR3 staining was observed in cerebellar molecular layer (100× magnification). b) FGFR3 staining in pseudorosette structures in ependymoma (200× magnification). Figure S2. Association analyses in the ependymoma cohort including all the cases. p-values were calculated using Fisher’s exact test. Figure S3. Moderate-to-strong FGFR1 staining in ependymal rosettes. Figure S4. Survival association analysis for FGFR1 staining in the ependymoma cohort was not statistically significant. a) Overall survival, b) Recurrence-free survival. Newly diagnosed cases were divided into two categories: low (negative-to-weak) or high (moderate-to-strong) FGFR1 staining. Figure S5. Association analyses in the pilocytic astrocytoma cohort including all the cases. p-values were calculated using Fisher’s exact test. Figure S6. Alignment and coverage statistics of the targeted sequencing cohort. (a) Total reads, grouped by alignment result. (b) Number of duplicate reads among all aligned reads. (c) Violin plot showing coverage distribution across all bases in target regions. (PDF 6130 kb)

Molecular and epidemiological differences have been described between TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive and fusion-negative prostate cancer (PrCa). Assuming two molecularly distinct subtypes, we have examined 27 common PrCa risk variants, previously identified in genome-wide association studies, for subtype specific associations in a total of 1221 TMPRSS2:ERG phenotyped PrCa cases. In meta-analyses of a discovery set of 552 cases with TMPRSS2:ERG data and 7650 unaffected men from five centers we have found support for the hypothesis that several common risk variants are associated with one particular subtype rather than with PrCa in general. Risk variants were analyzed in case-case comparisons (296 TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive versus 256 fusion-negative cases) and an independent set of 669 cases with TMPRSS2:ERG data was established to replicate the top five candidates. Significant differences (P < 0.00185) between the two subtypes were observed for rs16901979 (8q24) and rs1859962 (17q24), which were enriched in TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-negative (OR = 0.53, P = 0.0007) and TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive PrCa (OR = 1.30, P = 0.0016), respectively. Expression quantitative trait locus analysis was performed to investigate mechanistic links between risk variants, fusion status and target gene mRNA levels. For rs1859962 at 17q24, genotype dependent expression was observed for the candidate target gene SOX9 in TMPRSS2:ERG fusion-positive PrCa, which was not evident in TMPRSS2:ERG negative tumors. The present study established evidence for the first two common PrCa risk variants differentially associated with TMPRSS2:ERG fusion status. TMPRSS2:ERG phenotyping of larger studies is required to determine comprehensive sets of variants with subtype-specific roles in PrCa.

Radiation therapy is a major primary treatment option for both localized early stage prostate cancer, and for advanced, regionally un-resectable, cancer. However, around 30% of patients still experience biochemical recurrence after radiation therapy within 10 years. Thus, identification of better biomarkers and new targets are urgently required to improve current therapeutic strategies. The miR-99 family has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of the DNA damage response, via targeting of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling factors, SMARCA5 and SMARCD1 in cell line models. In the present study, we have demonstrated that low expression of miR-99a and miR-100 is present in cell populations which are relatively radiation insensitive, for example in prostate cancer stem cells and in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Additionally, treatment of cells with the synthetic glucocorticoid, Dexamethasone resulted in decreased miR-99a and 100 expression, suggesting a new mechanism of miR-99a and 100 regulation in androgen-independent prostate cells. Strikingly, treatment of prostate cells with the glucocorticoid receptor inhibitor, Mifepristone was found to sensitize prostate cells to radiation by increasing the levels of miR-99a and miR-100. These results qualify the miR99 family as markers of radiation sensitivity and as potential therapeutic targets to improve efficiency of radiotherapy.

We report the first combined analysis of whole-genome sequence, detailed clinical history, and transcriptome sequence of multiple prostate cancer metastases in a single patient (A21). Whole-genome and transcriptome sequence was obtained from nine anatomically separate metastases, and targeted DNA sequencing was performed in cancerous and noncancerous foci within the primary tumor specimen removed 5 yr before death. Transcriptome analysis revealed increased expression of androgen receptor (AR)-regulated genes in liver metastases that harbored an AR p.L702H mutation, suggesting a dominant effect by the mutation despite being present in only one of an estimated 16 copies per cell. The metastases harbored several alterations to the PI3K/AKT pathway, including a clonal truncal mutation in PIK3CG and present in all metastatic sites studied. The list of truncal genomic alterations shared by all metastases included homozygous deletion of TP53, hemizygous deletion of RB1 and CHD1, and amplification of FGFR1. If the patient were treated today, given this knowledge, the use of second-generation androgen-directed therapies, cessation of glucocorticoid administration, and therapeutic inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway or FGFR1 receptor could provide personalized benefit. Three previously unreported truncal clonal missense mutations (ABCC4 p.R891L, ALDH9A1 p.W89R, and ASNA1 p.P75R) were expressed at the RNA level and assessed as druggable. The truncal status of mutations may be critical for effective actionability and merit further study. Our findings suggest that a large set of deeply analyzed cases could serve as a powerful guide to more effective prostate cancer basic science and personalized cancer medicine clinical trials.

Microseminoprotein-beta (MSMB, MSMB) is an abundant secretory protein contributed by the prostate, and is implicated as a prostate cancer (PC) biomarker based on observations of its lower expression in cancerous cells compared with benign prostate epithelium. However, as the current literature on MSMB is inconsistent, we assessed the expression of MSMB at the protein and mRNA levels in a comprehensive set of different clinical stages of PC. Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against MSMB was used to study protein expression in tissue specimens representing prostatectomies (n = 261) and in diagnostic needle biopsies from patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) (n = 100), and in locally recurrent castration-resistant PC (CRPC) (n = 105) and CRPC metastases (n = 113). The transcript levels of MSMB, nuclear receptor co-activator 4 (NCOA4) and MSMB-NCOA4 fusion were examined by qRT-PCR in prostatectomy samples and by RNA-sequencing in benign prostatic hyperplasia, PC, and CRPC samples. We also measured serum MSMB levels and genotyped the single nucleotide polymorphism rs10993994 using DNA from the blood of 369 PC patients and 903 controls. MSMB expression in PC (29% of prostatectomies and 21% of needle biopsies) was more frequent than in CRPC (9% of locally recurrent CRPCs and 9% of CRPC metastases) (p

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Micro-RNAs (miRNA) are important regulators of gene expression and often differentially expressed in cancer and other diseases. We have previously shown that miR-193b is hypermethylated in prostate cancer (PC) and suppresses cell growth. It has been suggested that miR-193b targets cyclin D1 in several malignancies. Here, our aim was to determine if miR-193b targets cyclin D1 in prostate cancer. Our data show that miR-193b is commonly methylated in PC samples compared to benign prostate hyperplasia. We found reduced miR-193b expression (P < 0.05) in stage pT3 tumors compared to pT2 tumors in a cohort of prostatectomy specimens. In 22Rv1 PC cells with low endogenous miR-193b expression, the overexpression of miR-193b reduced CCND1 mRNA levels and cyclin D1 protein levels. In addition, the exogenous expression of miR-193b decreased the phosphorylation level of RB, a target of the cyclin D1-CDK4/6 pathway. Moreover, according to a reporter assay, miR-193b targeted the 3'UTR of CCND1 in PC cells and the CCND1 activity was rescued by expressing CCND1 lacking its 3'UTR. Immunohistochemical analysis of cyclin D1 showed that castration-resistant prostate cancers have significantly (P = 0.0237) higher expression of cyclin D1 compared to hormone-naïve cases. Furthermore, the PC cell lines 22Rv1 and VCaP, which express low levels of miR-193b and high levels of CCND1, showed significant growth retardation when treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. In contrast, the inhibitor had no effect on the growth of PC-3 and DU145 cells with high miR-193b and low CCND1 expression. Taken together, our data demonstrate that miR-193b targets cyclin D1 in prostate cancer

Residual androgen receptor (AR)-signaling and presence of cancer stem-like cells (SCs) are the two emerging paradigms for clinically challenging castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Therefore, identification of AR-target proteins that are also overexpressed in the cancer SC population would be an attractive therapeutic approach. Our analysis of over three hundred clinical samples and patient-derived prostate epithelial cultures (PPECs), revealed Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) as one such target. CIP2A is significantly overexpressed in both hormone-naïve prostate cancer (HN-PC) and CRPC patients . CIP2A is also overexpressed, by 3- and 30-fold, in HN-PC and CRPC SCs respectively. In vivo binding of the AR to the intronic region of CIP2A and its functionality in the AR-moderate and AR-high expressing LNCaP cell-model systems is also demonstrated. Further, we show that AR positively regulates CIP2A expression, both at the mRNA and protein level. Finally, CIP2A depletion reduced cell viability and colony forming efficiency of AR-independent PPECs as well as AR-responsive LNCaP cells, in which anchorage-independent growth is also impaired. These findings identify CIP2A as a common denominator for AR-signaling and cancer SC functionality, highlighting its potential therapeutic significance in the most clinically challenging prostate pathology: castration-resistant prostate cancer. This article has supplementary files, which can be found here:http://dx.doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.3875

Background The aim of the study was to characterize a recurrent amplification at chromosomal region 1p21-22 in bladder cancer. Methods ArrayCGH (aCGH) was performed to identify DNA copy number variations in 7 clinical samples and 6 bladder cancer cell lines. FISH was used to map the amplicon at 1p21-22 in the cell lines. Gene expression microarrays and qRT-PCR were used to study the expression of putative target genes in the region. Results aCGH identified an amplification at 1p21-22 in 10/13 (77%) samples. The minimal region of the amplification was mapped to a region of about 1 Mb in size, containing a total of 11 known genes. The highest amplification was found in SCaBER squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Four genes, TMED5, DR1, RPL5 and EVI5, showed significant overexpression in the SCaBER cell line compared to all the other samples tested. Oncomine database analysis revealed upregulation of DR1 in superficial and infiltrating bladder cancer samples, compared to normal bladder. Conclusions In conclusions, we have identified and mapped chromosomal amplification at 1p21-22 in bladder cancer as well as studied the expression of the genes in the region. DR1 was found to be significantly overexpressed in the SCaBER, which is a model of squamous cell carcinoma. However, the overexpression was found also in a published clinical sample cohort of superficial and infiltrating bladder cancers. Further studies with more clinical material are needed to investigate the role of the amplification at 1p21-22. BioMed Central open access

Recent sequencing studies have extensively explored the somatic alterations present in the nuclear genomes of cancers. Although mitochondria control energy metabolism and apoptosis, the origins and impact of cancer-associated mutations in mtDNA are unclear. In this study, we analyzed somatic alterations in mtDNA from 1675 tumors. We identified 1907 somatic substitutions, which exhibited dramatic replicative strand bias, predominantly C > T and A > G on the mitochondrial heavy strand. This strand-asymmetric signature differs from those found in nuclear cancer genomes but matches the inferred germline process shaping primate mtDNA sequence content. A number of mtDNA mutations showed considerable heterogeneity across tumor types. Missense mutations were selectively neutral and often gradually drifted towards homoplasmy over time. In contrast, mutations resulting in protein truncation undergo negative selection and were almost exclusively heteroplasmic. Our findings indicate that the endogenous mutational mechanism has far greater impact than any other external mutagens in mitochondria and is fundamentally linked to mtDNA replication.