Project description:Current therapy against colorectal cancer (CRC) is based on DNA-damaging agents that remain ineffective in a proportion of patients. Whether and how non-curative DNA damage-based treatment affects tumor cell behavior and patient outcome is primarily unstudied. Using CRC patient-derived organoids (PDO)s, we show that sublethal doses of chemotherapy (CT) does not select previously resistant tumor populations but induces a quiescent state specifically to TP53 wildtype (WT) cancer cells, which is linked to the acquisition of a YAP1-dependent fetal phenotype. Cells displaying this phenotype exhibit high tumor-initiating and metastatic activity. Nuclear YAP1 and fetal traits are present in a proportion of tumors at diagnosis and predict poor prognosis in patients carrying TP53 WT CRC tumors. We provide data indicating the higher efficacy of CT together with YAP1 inhibitors for eradication of therapy resistant TP53 WT cancer cells. Together these results identify fetal conversion as a useful biomarker for patient prognosis and therapy prescription.
Project description:Current therapy against colorectal cancer (CRC) is based on DNA-damaging agents that remain ineffective in a proportion of patients. Whether and how non-curative DNA damage-based treatment affects tumor cell behavior and patient outcome is primarily unstudied. Using CRC patient-derived organoids (PDO)s, we show that sublethal doses of chemotherapy (CT) does not select previously resistant tumor populations but induces a quiescent state specifically to TP53 wildtype (WT) cancer cells, which is linked to the acquisition of a YAP1-dependent fetal phenotype. Cells displaying this phenotype exhibit high tumor-initiating and metastatic activity. Nuclear YAP1 and fetal traits are present in a proportion of tumors at diagnosis and predict poor prognosis in patients carrying TP53 WT CRC tumors. We provide data indicating the higher efficacy of CT together with YAP1 inhibitors for eradication of therapy resistant TP53 WT cancer cells. Together these results identify fetal conversion as a useful biomarker for patient prognosis and therapy prescription.
Project description:Current therapy against colorectal cancer (CRC) is based on DNA-damaging agents that remain ineffective in a proportion of patients. Whether and how non-curative DNA damage-based treatment affects tumor cell behavior and patient outcome is primarily unstudied. Using CRC patient-derived organoids (PDO)s, we show that sublethal doses of chemotherapy (CT) does not select previously resistant tumor populations but induces a quiescent state specifically to TP53 wildtype (WT) cancer cells, which is linked to the acquisition of a YAP1-dependent fetal phenotype. Cells displaying this phenotype exhibit high tumor-initiating and metastatic activity. Nuclear YAP1 and fetal traits are present in a proportion of tumors at diagnosis and predict poor prognosis in patients carrying TP53 WT CRC tumors. We provide data indicating the higher efficacy of CT together with YAP1 inhibitors for eradication of therapy resistant TP53 WT cancer cells. Together these results identify fetal conversion as a useful biomarker for patient prognosis and therapy prescription.
Project description:Colorectal cancer (CRC) cells express glycoproteins with sialylated Lewis antigens (sLe), crucial for metastasis via E-selectin binding. However, these glycoepitopes lack cancer specificity, and E-selectin-targeted glycoproteins are unknown. Here we established a framework for identifying metastasis-linked glycoproteoforms for precision oncology. We found that over 70% of colorectal tumours overexpressed sLeA/X, yet without association with metastasis or survival. This prompted deeper exploration on the sialoglycoproteome of metastatic tumours. Nearly 600 glycoproteins were identified using E-selectin affinity enrichment and mass spectrometry, significantly broadening our understanding of potential metastasis-related glycoproteins. This glycoproteome was linked to cell adhesion, active transport of molecules and ions across the plasma membrane, oncogenic pathways, angiogenesis, and, unexpectedly, neuroendocrine functions. Employing an in-house algorithm for targetability prioritization, the less studied secretin receptor (SCTR) emerged as a top-ranked glycoprotein. The screening of tumours confirmed SCTR's association with poor prognosis and metastasis. N-glycosylation carrying sLe antigens added cancer specificity to SCTR. Prognostic links were reinforced by TCGA-based investigations. In summary, SCTR, a relatively unknown CRC glycoprotein, holds potential as a biomarker of poor prognosis and as a E-selectin ligand, suggesting an unforeseen role in metastasis warranting confirmation. Future investigations should also focus on this glycoproteoforms’ biological foreseeing clinical applications.
Project description:Myeloma is a clonal malignancy of plasma cells. Poor prognosis risk is currently identified by clinical and cytogenetic features. However, these indicators do not capture all prognostic information. Gene expression analysis can be used to identify poor prognosis patients and this can be improved by combination with information about DNA level changes. Using SNP-based gene mapping in combination with global gene expression analysis we have identified homozygous deletions in genes and networks that are relevant to myeloma. From these, we have generated an expression-based signature associated with shorter survival in 247 patients and confirmed this signature in data from 2 independent groups totalling 800 patients. We identified 170 genes with homozygous deletions and corresponding loss of expression. Deletion within the “Cell Death” network was over-represented and cases with these deletions have impaired overall survival. We defined a gene expression signature of 97 cell death genes that reflects prognosis confirmed this in two independent data sets. We developed a simple 6-gene expression signature from the 97-gene signature that can be used to identify poor prognosis myeloma in the clinical environment. The signature can form the basis of future trials aimed at improving the outcome of poor prognosis myeloma.
Project description:Cancer tissue specimens from ARID1Ahigh and good prognosis and ARID1Alow and poor prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer were extracted and analyzed.