Project description:We report 6p22 locus lncRNAs, which were identified as differentially expressed between high and non-high risk neuroblastoma tumors using RNA sequencing. we identified CASC15-003 and CASC15-004 lncRNAs act as prognostic biomarker in neuroblastoma.
Project description:The pediatric extra-cranial tumor neuroblastoma displays a low mutational burden while recurrent copy number alterations are present in most high-risk cases. We identify SOX11 as a dependency transcription factor in adrenergic neuroblastoma based on recurrent chromosome 2p focal gains and amplifications, specific expression in the normal sympatho-adrenal lineage and adrenergic neuroblastoma, regulation by multiple adrenergic specific (super-)enhancers and strong dependency on high SOX11 expression in adrenergic neuroblastomas. SOX11 regulated direct targets include genes implicated in epigenetic control, cytoskeleton and neurodevelopment. Most notably, SOX11 controls chromatin regulatory complexes, including 10 SWI/SNF core components among which SMARCC1, SMARCA4/BRG1 and ARID1A. Additionally, the histone deacetylase HDAC2, PRC1 complex component CBX2, chromatin-modifying enzyme KDM1A/LSD1 and pioneer factor c-MYB are regulated by SOX11. Finally, SOX11 is identified as a core transcription factor of the core regulatory circuitry (CRC) in adrenergic high-risk neuroblastoma with a potential role as epigenetic master regulator upstream of the CRC.
Project description:DNA methylation changes in neuroblastoma, a clinically-heterogeneous pediatric tumor, have been described essentially in promoter regions. We analyzed the DNA methylome of neuroblastoma using high-density microarrays and observed differential methylation not only in promoters but also in intragenic and intergenic regions at both CpG and non-CpG sites. These epigenetic changes showed a non-random distribution relative functional chromatin domains, and targeted development and cancer-related genes, relevant for neuroblastoma pathogenesis. CCND1, a gene overexpressed in neuroblastoma, showed hypomethylation of gene-body and upstream regulatory regions. Furthermore, tumors with diverse clinical-risk showed clear differences affecting CpG and, remarkably, non-CpG sites. Non-CpG methylation was present in clinically-favorable tumors and affected genes such as ALK, where non-CpG methylation correlated with low gene expression. Finally, we identified CpG and non-CpG methylation signatures which correlated with patient’s age at time-points relevant for neuroblastoma clinical behavior, and targeted genes related to neural development and neural crest regulatory network We report on the first DNA methylomes of neuroblastoma tumors using high-density microarrays. DNA methylation changes in this pediatric tumor affected both CpG and non-CpG sites associated with developmental and cancer-related genes such as CCND1 and ALK. Our study also provides new insights into the molecular basis of the heterogeneous clinical behavior of neuroblastoma.
Project description:DNA methylation changes in neuroblastoma, a clinically-heterogeneous pediatric tumor, have been described essentially in promoter regions. We analyzed the DNA methylome of neuroblastoma using high-density microarrays and observed differential methylation not only in promoters but also in intragenic and intergenic regions at both CpG and non-CpG sites. These epigenetic changes showed a non-random distribution relative functional chromatin domains, and targeted development and cancer-related genes, relevant for neuroblastoma pathogenesis. CCND1, a gene overexpressed in neuroblastoma, showed hypomethylation of gene-body and upstream regulatory regions. Furthermore, tumors with diverse clinical-risk showed clear differences affecting CpG and, remarkably, non-CpG sites. Non-CpG methylation was present in clinically-favorable tumors and affected genes such as ALK, where non-CpG methylation correlated with low gene expression. Finally, we identified CpG and non-CpG methylation signatures which correlated with patient’s age at time-points relevant for neuroblastoma clinical behavior, and targeted genes related to neural development and neural crest regulatory network We report on the first DNA methylomes of neuroblastoma tumors using high-density microarrays. DNA methylation changes in this pediatric tumor affected both CpG and non-CpG sites associated with developmental and cancer-related genes such as CCND1 and ALK. Our study also provides new insights into the molecular basis of the heterogeneous clinical behavior of neuroblastoma.
Project description:The pediatric extra-cranial tumor neuroblastoma displays a low mutational burden while recurrent copy number alterations are present in most high-risk cases. We identify SOX11 as a dependency transcription factor in adrenergic neuroblastoma based on recurrent chromosome 2p focal gains and amplifications, specific expression in the normal sympatho-adrenal lineage and adrenergic neuroblastoma, regulation by multiple adrenergic specific (super-)enhancers and strong dependency on high SOX11 expression in adrenergic neuroblastomas. SOX11 regulated direct targets include genes implicated in epigenetic control, cytoskeleton and neurodevelopment. Most notably, SOX11 controls chromatin regulatory complexes, including 10 SWI/SNF core components among which SMARCC1, SMARCA4/BRG1 and ARID1A. Additionally, the histone deacetylase HDAC2, PRC1 complex component CBX2, chromatin-modifying enzyme KDM1A/LSD1 and pioneer factor c-MYB are regulated by SOX11. Finally, SOX11 is identified as a core transcription factor of the core regulatory circuitry (CRC) in adrenergic high-risk neuroblastoma with a potential role as epigenetic master regulator upstream of the CRC.
Project description:The pediatric extra-cranial tumor neuroblastoma displays a low mutational burden while recurrent copy number alterations are present in most high-risk cases. We identify SOX11 as a dependency transcription factor in adrenergic neuroblastoma based on recurrent chromosome 2p focal gains and amplifications, specific expression in the normal sympatho-adrenal lineage and adrenergic neuroblastoma, regulation by multiple adrenergic specific (super-)enhancers and strong dependency on high SOX11 expression in adrenergic neuroblastomas. SOX11 regulated direct targets include genes implicated in epigenetic control, cytoskeleton and neurodevelopment. Most notably, SOX11 controls chromatin regulatory complexes, including 10 SWI/SNF core components among which SMARCC1, SMARCA4/BRG1 and ARID1A. Additionally, the histone deacetylase HDAC2, PRC1 complex component CBX2, chromatin-modifying enzyme KDM1A/LSD1 and pioneer factor c-MYB are regulated by SOX11. Finally, SOX11 is identified as a core transcription factor of the core regulatory circuitry (CRC) in adrenergic high-risk neuroblastoma with a potential role as epigenetic master regulator upstream of the CRC.
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide, indicating urgent need for novel preventive strategies. Cancer chemoprevention discovery has been challenging due to the absence of tractable and clinically relevant model systems. Here, we developed a simple and robust human liver cell-based system, in which persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces a HCC risk signature robustly predicting long-term HCC risk in cirrhotic patients. Using single-cell RNA-Seq analysis we observed a virus-dependent induction of the HCC high-risk gene signature and EGFR/MAPK signaling in HCV-infected liver cells. Our system, modeling the cell circuits encoded in the clinical HCC risk signature, enables investigation of the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis and the discovery of cancer preventive strategies for HCC.
Project description:Neuroblastoma is a pediatric tumor of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system with diverse clinical behaviors. Even with multimodal therapies, high-risk neuroblastoma has an unfavorable outcome irrespective of MYCN amplification, a well-established oncogenic driver in neuroblastoma pathogenesis, and its genetic heterogeneity has largely impeded efforts to correlate molecular targets with biological consequences for more effective treatment strategies. Here, using a gene expression-based approach, we identified the FDA-approved anthelmintic niclosamide as a potential anti-neuroblastoma drug. By combining the gene expression signature associated with high-risk neuroblastoma and the recurrent drug−transcript relationships inferred from up to one million perturbational gene expression profiles, our algorithm predicted effective therapeutic candidates by evaluating the extent to which a given compound or their combinations could ‘reverse’ the high-risk signature. Furthermore, we performed quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to validate top five candidate reverse genes which are involved in DNA replication, including cyclin A2 (CCNA2), minichromosome maintenance 10 replication initiation factor (MCM10), ERCC excision repair 6 like, spindle assembly checkpoint helicase (ERCC6L), kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A), and RuvB like AAA ATPase 1 (RUVBL1). Indeed, those five genes were downregulated in niclosamide-treated cells, indicating niclosamide suppressed DNA replication and then inhibited cell proliferation. Using cell proliferation and clonogenic assays as well as flow cytometry, we determined the cytotoxic effects of niclosamide in MYCN-amplified SK-N-DZ and non-amplified SK-N-AS cells. The results showed that niclosamide could effectively reduce not only cell proliferation and colony formation but also trigger cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, we conducted human tumor xenografts in a nude mice model to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of niclosamide and found that it significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival rate, but doesn’t cause organ damage and change body weight. To explore the molecular mechanism of niclosamide, stable-isotope dimethyl labeling strategy for quantitative proteomics was performed on both cell-based or xenograft-based MYCN-amplified SK-N-DZ and MYCN-nonamplified SK-N-AS models. We confirmed niclosamide not only mediated the function of mitochondrial electron transport chain but also the other functions in high risk neuroblastoma cell lines and xenografts. The results suggest that our developed expression-based strategy is useful for drug discovery and provides the possibility of repurposing the anthelminthic drug niclosamide for treating high-risk neuroblastoma therapy.
Project description:The risk of locoregional or distant failure in advanced HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients is high. However, no suitable markers for stratification are clinically available. Thus, we aimed to identify a microRNA(miRNA)-signature predicting disease recurrence. For this purpose the miRNA profiles from 162 HNSCC samples were analysed with regard to identification of a low-complex porgnostic signature. The data set consists of a discovery dataset (n=85) and a validation dataset (n=77). The study resulted in a prognostic 5-miRNA signature significantly predicting the relevant clinical endpoint freedom from recurrence.