Project description:This study was designed to identify genes aberrantly expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. Three esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-derived cell lines and one normal human esophageal squamous cell line were analyzed.
Project description:Preoperative prediction of lymph node (LN) metastasis is accepted as an important independent risk factor for treatment decision-making for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. This study aimed to develop a non-invasive biomarker to identify LN metastasis preoperatively in ESCC patients with serum exosomal RNA-seq.
Project description:Analysis of peripheral circulating mRNA expression levels in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The hypothesis test was that chemoradiation alters the circulating mRNA expression profiles and the profiling is predictive of pathological response. Results provide information on the response of circulating mRNAs to chemoradiation and identify novel biomarkers or targets in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Total RNA obtained from peripheral whole blood before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. 21 patients with 42 samples were analyzed. The expression profiles from pathological complete responders were compared to non-complete responders.
Project description:Human squamous cell cancers are the most common epithelially derived malignancies. One example is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which is associated with a high mortality rate that is related to a propensity for invasion and metastasis. We report that periostin, a highly expressed cell adhesion molecule, is a key component of a novel tumor invasive signature obtained from an organotypic culture model of engineered ESCC. This tumor invasive signature classifies with human ESCC microarrays, underscoring its utility in human cancer. Genetic modulation of periostin promotes tumor cell migration and invasion as revealed in gain of and loss of function experiments. Inhibition of EGFR signaling and restoration of wild-type p53 function were each found to attenuate periostin, suggesting interdependence of two common genetic alterations with periostin function. Our studies reveal periostin as an important mediator of ESCC tumor invasion and they indicate that organotypic (3D) culture can offer an important tool to discover novel biologic effectors in cancer. Invading and non-invading genetically engineered human esophageal cells with hTERT and EGFR overexpression and p53 mutations were grown in organotypic culture. These invading and non-invading cells were excised using laser-capture microdissection. RNA was isolated and amplified for Affymetrix U133 microarrays. Subsequent microarray analysis & comparison with 2 independent cohorts of primary ESCC tumors revealed upregulation of periostin as gene with highest upregulation found in novel tumor invasive signature in esophageal cancer.