Project description:We performed whole-exome sequencing of tumour bulks from opposite side of the neoplasm (A/B). From each we selected a panel of sub-clonal mutations and profiled multiple single tumour glands from the same neoplasm using high depth targeted re-sequencing. The aim was to infer tumour evolutionary dynamics and reconstruct the timeline of progression
Project description:Non-invasive prognostic markers are needed to improve survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Towards this goal, we here apply integrative systems glycobiology approaches to tumour tissues and PBMCs from CRC patients and matching controls as well as a CRC patient-derived cell line. The untargeted -omics-driven approaches revealed that non-canonical paucimannosidic proteins from monocytic and cancer cell origins are prominent signatures in CRC tumour tissues, and that their expression associates with CRC progression. Guided by these novel relationships, we then show in vitro that N-acetyl-β-D-hexosaminidase (Hex) drives paucimannosidic protein biosynthesis in CRC cells, and is intimately involved in processes underpinning CRC metastasis (adhesion, migration, invasion). Importantly, Hex activity was elevated in PBMCs and plasma from patients with advanced CRC relative to those with early-stage disease. Notably, we show that plasma Hex activity accurately informs on CRC patient survival. Our study opens new avenues for effective prognostication and therapeutic intervention in CRC.
Project description:We investigated a panel of 21 genes by parallel sequencing on the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine platform. We sequenced 65 CRCs that were treated with cetuximab or panitumumab ( 37 samples were responsive and 28 were resistant).
Project description:In order to determine whether dis-regulation of a genetic pathway could explain the increased apoptosis of parp-2-/- double positive thymocytes, the gene expression profiles in double positive thymocytes derived from wild-type and parp-2-/- mice were analysed using Affymetrix oligonucleotide chips (mouse genome 430 2.0).
Project description:Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a high incidence disease, characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates. Early diagnosis remains challenging because fecal occult blood screening tests have performed sub-optimally, especially due to hemorrhoidal, inflammatory, and vascular diseases, while colonoscopy is invasive and requires a medical setting to be performed. The objective of the present study was to determine if serum metabolomic profiles could be used to develop a novel screening approach for colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the study evaluated the metabolic alterations associated with the disease. Untargeted serum metabolomic profiles were collected from 100 CRC subjects, 50 healthy controls, and 50 individuals with benign colorectal disease. Different machine learning models, as well as an ensemble model based on a voting scheme, were built to discern CRC patients from CTRLs. The ensemble model correctly classified all CRC and CTRL subjects (accuracy = 100%) using a random subset of the cohort as a test set. Relevant metabolites were examined in a metabolite-set enrichment analysis, revealing differences in patients and controls primarily associated with cell glucose metabolism. These results support a potential use of the metabolomic signature as a non-invasive screening tool for CRC. Moreover, metabolic pathway analysis can provide valuable information to enhance understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cancer. Further studies with larger cohorts, including blind trials, could potentially validate the reported results.
Project description:Distant metastasis is the major causes of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. In order to identify genes influencing the prognosis of patients with CRC, we compared gene expression in primary tumors with and without distant metastasis using an oligonucleotide microarray. We also examined the expression of the candidate gene in 100 CRC patients by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR and studied the relationship between its expression and the prognosis of patients with CRC. As a result, we identified MUC12 as a candidate gene involved in metastasis processes by microarray analysis. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR showed that MUC12 expression was significantly lower in cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). In stage II and stage III CRC, patients with low expression showed worse disease-free survival (P = 0.038). Multivariate analysis disclosed that MUC12 expression status was an independent prognostic factor in stage II and stage III CRC (relative risk, 9.532; 95% confidence interval, 2.303-41.905; P = 0.002). This study revealed the prognostic value of MUC12 expression in CRC patients. Moreover, our result suggests MUC12 expression is a possible candidate gene for assessing postoperative adjuvant therapy for CRC patients. Total of 111 microarray datasets (77 for LCM samples, and 17 pairs for homogenized samples from tumor and adjacent tissues) were normalized using robust multi-array average (RMA) method under R 2.6.2 statistical software together with BioConductor package, as described previously. Then, the gene expression levels were log2-transformed, and 62 control probe sets were removed for further analysis. In order to identify a set of genes associated with development of metastatic recurrence, we performed Wilcoxon rank-sum test for gene expression differences of 54,613 probe sets between recurrence and non-recurrence groups. Similarly, Wilcoxon singed-rank test was conducted to select genes which showed significant expression difference between tumor and adjacent tissue. Then, we selected a set of genes that satisfied both of above two criteria.
Project description:Non-invasive prognostic markers are needed to improve survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Towards this goal, we here apply integrative systems glycobiology approaches to tumour tissues and PBMCs from CRC patients and matching controls as well as a CRC patient-derived cell line. The untargeted -omics-driven approaches revealed that non-canonical paucimannosidic proteins from monocytic and cancer cell origins are prominent signatures in CRC tumour tissues, and that their expression associates with CRC progression. Guided by these novel relationships, we then show in vitro that N-acetyl-β-D-hexosaminidase (Hex) drives paucimannosidic protein biosynthesis in CRC cells, and is intimately involved in processes underpinning CRC metastasis (adhesion, migration, invasion). Importantly, Hex activity was elevated in PBMCs and plasma from patients with advanced CRC relative to those with early-stage disease. Notably, we show that plasma Hex activity accurately informs on CRC patient survival. Our study opens new avenues for effective prognostication and therapeutic intervention in CRC.
Project description:Metabolomic analysis of feces may provide insights on colorectal cancer (CRC) if assay performance is satisfactory. In lyophilized feces from 48 CRC cases, 102 matched controls, and 48 masked quality control specimens, 1043 small molecules were detected with a commercial platform. Assay reproducibility was good for 527 metabolites [technical intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) >0.7 in quality control specimens], but reproducibility in 6-month paired specimens was lower for the majority of metabolites (within-subject ICC ≤0.5). In the CRC cases and controls, significant differences (false discovery rate ≤0.10) were found for 41 of 1043 fecal metabolites. Direct cancer association was found with three fecal heme-related molecules [covariate-adjusted 90th versus 10th percentile odds ratio (OR) = 17-345], 18 peptides/amino acids (OR = 3-14), palmitoyl-sphingomyelin (OR = 14), mandelate (OR = 3) and p-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (OR = 4). Conversely, cancer association was inverse with acetaminophen metabolites (OR <0.1), tocopherols (OR = 0.3), sitostanol (OR = 0.2), 3-dehydrocarnitine (OR = 0.4), pterin (OR = 0.3), conjugated-linoleate-18-2N7 (OR = 0.2), N-2-furoyl-glycine (OR = 0.3) and p-aminobenzoate (PABA, OR = 0.2). Correlations suggested an independent role for palmitoyl-sphingomyelin and a central role for PABA (which was stable over 6 months, within-subject ICC 0.67) modulated by p-hydroxy-benzaldehyde. Power calculations based on ICCs indicate that only 45% of metabolites with a true relative risk 5.0 would be found in prospectively collected, prediagnostic specimens from 500 cases and 500 controls. Thus, because fecal metabolites vary over time, very large studies will be needed to reliably detect associations of many metabolites that potentially contribute to CRC.