Cancer-related CD15/FUT4 overexpression decreases benefit to agents targeting EGFR or VEGF acting as a novel RAF-MEK-ERK kinase downstream regulator in metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related immune antigens in the tumor microenvironment could represent an obstacle to agents targeting EGFR "cetuximab" or VEGF "bevacizumab" in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. METHODS: Infiltrating immune cells into tumor tissues, cancer-related expression of immune antigens (CD3, CD8, CD68, CD73, MPO, CD15/FUT4) from 102 mCRC patients receiving first-line Cetuximab or Bevacizumab plus chemotherapy were assessed by immunohistochemistry and validated in an independent tissue microarrays of 140 patients. Genome-wide expression profiles from 436 patients and 60 colon cancer cell lines were investigated using bioinformatics analysis. In vitro kinase assays of target genes activated by chemokines or growth factors were performed. RESULTS: Here, we report that cancer-related CD15/FUT4 is overexpressed in most of mCRCs patients (43 %) and associates with lower intratumoral CD3+ and CD8+ T cells, higher systemic inflammation (NLR at diagnosis >5) and poorer outcomes, in terms of response and progression-free survival than those CD15/FUT4-low or negative ones (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 2.92; 95 % CI = 1.86-4.41; P < 0.001). Overexpression of CD15/FUT4 is induced through RAF-MEK-ERK kinase cascade, suppressed by MEK inhibitors and exhibits a close connection with constitutive oncogenic signalling pathways that respond to ERBB3 or FGFR4 activation (P < 0.001). CD15/FUT4-high expressing colon cancer cells with primary resistance to cetuximab or bevacizumab are significantly more sensitive to MEK inhibitors than CD15/FUT4-low counterparts. CONCLUSION: Cancer-related CD15/FUT4 overexpression participates in cetuximab or bevacizumab mechanisms of resistance in mCRC patients. CD15/FUT4 as a potential target of the antitumor immune response requires further evaluation in clinical studies.

MicroRNA-130b promotes tumor development and is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

MicroRNA-130b (miR-130b) is involved in several biologic processes; its role in colorectal tumorigenesis has not been addressed so far. Herein, we demonstrate that miR-130b up-regulation exhibits clinical relevance as it is linked to advanced colorectal cancers (CRCs), poor patients' prognosis, and molecular features of enhanced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis. miR-130b high-expressing cells develop large, dedifferentiated, and vascularized tumors in mouse xenografts, features that are reverted by intratumor injection of a specific antisense RNA. In contrast, injection of the corresponding mimic in mouse xenografts from miR-130b low-expressing cells increases tumor growth and angiogenic potential while reduces the epithelial hallmarks. These biologic effects are reproduced in human CRC cell lines. We identify peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) as an miR-130b direct target in CRC in vitro and in vivo. Notably, the effects of PPARγ gain- and loss-of-function phenocopy those due to miR-130b down-regulation or up-regulation, respectively, underscoring their biologic relevance. Furthermore, we provide mechanistic evidences that most of the miR-130b-dependent effects are due to PPARγ suppression that in turn deregulates PTEN, E-cadherin, Snail, and vascular endothelial growth factor, key mediators of cell proliferation, EMT, and angiogenesis. Since higher levels of miR-130b are found in advanced tumor stages (III-IV), we propose a novel role of the miR-130b-PPARγ axis in fostering the progression toward more invasive CRCs. Detection of onco-miR-130b and its association with PPARγ may be useful as a prognostic biomarker. Its targeting in vivo should be evaluated as a novel effective therapeutic tool against CRC.

Prognostic role of beta-catenin and p53 expression in the metastatic progression of sporadic colorectal cancer.

Beta-catenin and p53 play key roles in tumorigenesis. The relationships between these 2 signaling pathways and their contribution to colorectal cancer metastatic progression have not been completely elucidated. We analyzed 141 cases of primary sporadic colorectal cancer, 45 matched metastases, and 80 samples of normal mucosa by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded specimens. The expression profiles were also related to patients' clinicopathologic features and 5-year survival. In primary tumors, beta-catenin immunoreactivity was nuclear (27%), predominantly membrane/cytosolic (46.0%) or negative (27%). This latter subgroup was strongly related to microsatellite instability, in particular to MLH-1 deficiency. Remarkably, beta-catenin membrane/cytosolic expression in primary tumors was reduced in the corresponding matched metastases. p53 showed a significant increase in immunoreactivity in (66.7%), whereas it was negative in (33.3%) of tumors. When we considered the expression of both genes, the combination of negative beta-catenin and positive p53 nuclear staining (21%) was strongly related to a higher frequency of liver metastases. Such an association was significantly related to a worse prognosis than any other combination. In a multivariate analysis, beta-catenin and distant metastases were independent prognostic markers. We suggest that a combination of low beta-catenin and high p53 expression in primary colorectal cancers may be a prognostic factor in predicting the progression of the disease, the occurrence of metastasis, and a more severe outcome.

Epigenetic silencing of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ is a biomarker for colorectal cancer progression and adverse patients' outcome.

The relationship between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARG) expression and epigenetic changes occurring in colorectal-cancer pathogenesis is largely unknown. We investigated whether PPARG is epigenetically regulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. PPARG expression was assessed in CRC tissues and paired normal mucosa by western blot and immunohistochemistry and related to patients' clinicopathological parameters and survival. PPARG promoter methylation was analyzed by methylation-specific-PCR and bisulphite sequencing. PPARG expression and promoter methylation were similarly examined also in CRC derived cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation in basal conditions and after epigenetic treatment was performed along with knocking-down experiments of putative regulatory factors. Gene expression was monitored by immunoblotting and functional assays of cell proliferation and invasiveness. Methylation on a specific region of the promoter is strongly correlated with PPARG lack of expression in 30% of primary CRCs and with patients' poor prognosis. Remarkably, the same methylation pattern is found in PPARG-negative CRC cell lines. Epigenetic treatment with 5'-aza-2'-deoxycytidine can revert this condition and, in combination with trichostatin A, dramatically re-activates gene transcription and receptor activity. Transcriptional silencing is due to the recruitment of MeCP2, HDAC1 and EZH2 that impart repressive chromatin signatures determining an increased cell proliferative and invasive potential, features that can experimentally be reverted. Our findings provide a novel mechanistic insight into epigenetic silencing of PPARG in CRC that may be relevant as a prognostic marker of tumor progression.

Reduced beta-catenin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma expression levels are associated with colorectal cancer metastatic progression: correlation with tumor-associated macrophages, cyclooxygenase 2, and patient outcome.

Recent studies have reported cross talk between beta-catenin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, and cyclooxygenase 2 signaling pathways. We examined whether molecular changes of these pathways could be related to colorectal cancer metastatic progression. Seventy-two sporadic colorectal cancers and the distant nonneoplastic mucosa were analyzed for beta-catenin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, cyclooxygenase 2, and nuclear factor kappaB levels by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. The expression profiles were correlated with patient outcome and 5-year survival. Nuclear beta-catenin staining was detected in only 18.1% of tumors and correlated with poor survival as compared with cases showing cytosolic/membrane accumulation (59.7%, P < .05). This latter group and tumor samples showing cytosolic/nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma expression (70.8%) were significantly associated with a favorable prognosis (P < .001). Remarkably, reduction or loss of beta-catenin (22.2%) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (29.2%) expression was strongly correlated with marked infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (P < .01), presence of liver metastases, and very short survival (P = .0001). Moreover, beta-catenin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma levels were inversely correlated with cyclooxygenase 2 (P < .01) and nuclear factor kappaB expression (P < .05). Our results suggest that reduced expression of beta-catenin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma could play a key role in aggressive colorectal cancer behavior. This finding may provide a relevant prognostic tool and contribute to early identification of patients at high risk of mortality.