Upregulation of serine metabolism enzyme PSAT1 predicts poor prognosis and promotes proliferation, metastasis and drug resistance of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Serine metabolic reprogramming is known to be associated with oncogenesis and tumor development. The key metabolic enzyme PSAT1 has been identified as a potential prognostic marker for various cancers, but its role in ccRCC remains unkown. In this study, we investigated expression of PSAT1 in ccRCC using the TCGA database and clinical specimens. Our results showed that PSAT1 exhibited lower expression in tumor tissue compared to adjacent normal tissue, but its expression level increased with advancing stages and grades of ccRCC. Patients with elevated expression level of PSAT1 exhibited an unfavorable prognosis. Functional experiments have substantiated that the depletion of PSAT1 shows an effective activity in inhibiting the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells, concurrently promoting apoptosis. RNA sequencing analysis has revealed that the attenuation of PSAT1 can diminish tumor resistance to therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, the xenograft model has indicated that the inhibition of PSAT1 can obviously impact the tumorigenic potential of ccRCC and mitigate lung metastasis. Notably, pharmacological targeting PSAT1 by Aminooxyacetic Acid (AOA) or knockdown of PSAT1 increased the susceptibility of sunitinib-resistant cells. Inhibition of PSAT1 increased the sensitivity of drug-resistant tumors to sunitinib in vivo. Collectively, our investigation identifies PSAT1 as an independent prognostic biomarker for advanced ccRCC patients and as a prospective therapeutic target.

Prevalence of germline mutations in cancer susceptibility genes in Chinese patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Background: Germline pathogenic variants are estimated to affect 3-5% of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The identification of patients with hereditary RCC is important for cancer screening and treatment guidance. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) (n=69) or gene panel sequencing containing 139 genes (n=54) related to germline cancer predisposition was used to analyze germline mutations in 123 patients with RCC admitted to Department of Urology, The Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital. Chi-square test (χ2) was used to analyze relationship between clinicopathologic parameters and germline mutations. Results: A total of 13 (10.57%) patients carried pathogenic or likely pathogenic germline mutations in 10 cancer predisposition genes, including VHL, FH, FLCN, SDHB, MUTYH, RAD51C, NBN, RAD50, FANCI, and FANCM. A total of 6 of these 10 cancer predisposition genes were associated with maintenance of genomic stability and DNA repair. Patients harboring pathogenic germline mutations tended to have an earlier RCC onset. The prevalence of deleterious mutations was higher in patients with bilateral or multifocal RCC compared to patients without bilateral or multifocal RCC. Patients with non-clear cell RCC (nccRCC) were significantly more likely to have RCC-associated gene mutations. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first report of pathogenic germline mutations in the FANCI and FANCM genes and heterozygous germline missense mutation in exon 5 of the FH gene c.563A>T:p.N188I in RCC. Young RCC patients, patients with bilateral or multifocal RCC, or patients with nccRCC are more likely to have pathogenic/potentially pathogenic germline mutations.

Comprehensive Proteomics Analysis Identifies CD38-Mediated NAD+ Decline Orchestrating Renal Fibrosis in Pediatric Patients With Obstructive Nephropathy.

Obstructive nephropathy is one of the leading causes of kidney injury and renal fibrosis in pediatric patients. Although considerable advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of obstructive nephropathy, most of them were based on animal experiments and a comprehensive understanding of obstructive nephropathy in pediatric patients at the molecular level remains limited. Here, we performed a comparative proteomics analysis of obstructed kidneys from pediatric patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction and healthy kidney tissues. Intriguingly, the proteomics revealed extensive metabolic reprogramming in kidneys from individuals with ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Moreover, we uncovered the dysregulation of NAD+ metabolism and NAD+-related metabolic pathways, including mitochondrial dysfunction, the Krebs cycle, and tryptophan metabolism, which led to decreased NAD+ levels in obstructed kidneys. Importantly, the major NADase CD38 was strongly induced in human and experimental obstructive nephropathy. Genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of CD38 as well as NAD+ supplementation significantly recovered NAD+ levels in obstructed kidneys and reduced obstruction-induced renal fibrosis, partially through the mechanisms of blunting the recruitment of immune cells and NF-κB signaling. Thus, our work not only provides an enriched resource for future investigations of obstructive nephropathy but also establishes CD38-mediated NAD+ decline as a potential therapeutic target for obstruction-induced renal fibrosis.

Papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity-a comparative study with CCPRCC, OPRCC, and PRCC1.

Papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity (PRNRP) is a newly defined entity with distinct histomorphology and recurrent KRAS mutation. In this study, we aimed to identify and analyze the clinicopathological, immunohistochemical (IHC), and molecular features of PRNRP in our center and to evaluate its differential diagnosis with other tumors with which it is easily confused: clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma (CCPRCC), oncocytic papillary renal cell carcinoma (OPRCC), and papillary renal cell carcinoma type 1 (PRCC1). Nephrectomy specimens of PRNRP (n = 15), CCPRCC (n = 11), and OPRCC (n = 12) were retrieved from our pathology archives. We also selected typical cases of PRCC1 (n = 15) as a control group. PRNRP accounted for 3.05% (15/492) of all PRCC cases at our center. The median follow-up period was 41.3 months. All PRNRP cases were pT1N0M0, and only one involved recurrence (1 year after surgery). IHC analysis showed diffuse staining of CK7, EMA, and GATA3 but weak or negative staining of CD10, CD117, p504s, and vimentin in the PRNRP samples and distinctive IHC features in the other three tumor types. KRAS mutation was detected in 4/10 PRNRP cases. Among the 40 most commonly mutated genes identified, 5 (BCLAF1, PDE4DIP, NCOR1, PARP4, and PABPC1) have actionable alterations. Our study supports the suggestion that PRNRP is an entity distinct from CCPRCC, OPRCC, and PRCC1.