Development and first-in-human study of PSMA-targeted PET tracers with improved pharmacokinetic properties.

PURPOSE: A series of new 68Ga-labeled tracers based on [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 were developed to augment the tumor-to-kidney ratio and reduce the activity accumulation in bladder, ultimately minimize radiation toxicity to the urinary system. METHODS: We introduced quinoline group, phenylalanine and decanoic acid into different tracers to enhance their lipophilicity, strategically limiting their metabolic pathway through the urinary system. Their binding affinity onto LNCaP cells was determined through in vitro saturation assays and competition binding assays. In vivo metabolic study, PET imaging and biodistribution experiment were performed in LNCaP tumor-bearing B-NSG male mice. The most promising tracer was selected for first-in-human study. RESULTS: Four radiotracers were synthesized with radiochemical purity (RCP) > 95% and molar activity in a range of 20.0-25.5 GBq/µmol. The binding affinities (Ki) of TWS01, TWS02 to PSMA were in the low nanomolar range (< 10 nM), while TWS03 and TWS04 exhibited binding affinities with Ki > 20 nM (59.42 nM for TWS03 and 37.14 nM for TWS04). All radiotracers exhibited high stability in vivo except [68Ga]Ga-TWS03. Micro PET/CT imaging and biodistribution analysis revealed that [68Ga]Ga-TWS02 enabled clear tumor visualization in PET images at 1.5 h post-injection, with higher tumor-to-kidney ratio (T/K, 0.93) and tumor-to-muscle ratio (T/M, 107.62) compared with [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 (T/K: 0.39, T/M: 15.01) and [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 (T/K: 0.15, T/M: 24.00). In first-in-human study, [68Ga]Ga-TWS02 effectively detected PCa-associated lesions including primary and metastatic lesions, with lower accumulation in urinary system, suggesting that [68Ga]Ga-TWS02 might be applied in the detection of bladder invasion, with minimized radiation toxicity to the urinary system. CONCLUSION: Introduction of quinoline group, phenylalanine and decanoic acid into different tracers can modulate the binding affinity and pharmacokinetics of PSMA in vivo. [68Ga]Ga-TWS02 showed high binding affinity to PSMA, excellent pharmacokinetic properties and clear imaging of PCa-associated lesions, making it a promising radiotracer for the clinical diagnosis of PCa. Moreover, TWS02 with a chelator DOTA could also label 177Lu and 225Ac, which could be used for PCa treatment without significant side effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The clinical evaluation of this study was registered On October 30, 2021 at https://www.chictr.org.cn/ (No: ChiCTR2100052545).

Effect of neoadjuvant therapy on serum transforming growth factor-ß, squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen, and prognosis in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.

It was to explore the effect of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) on serum-related indicators and prognosis of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC). 400 EC patients were grouped as controls (295 cases, radical EC resection alone) and research group (105 cases, NAT plus radical EC resection). The levels of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA21-1), programmed death-1 (PD-1), PD-2, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen were detected before and after treatment. The follow-up lasted for 3 years. The quality of life (QoL) was evaluated by QLQ-OES24. The recurrence rate, recurrence time, overall survival rate (SR), disease-free SR, and complication rate were compared. Compared with controls, the levels of serum CA19-9, CEA, CYFRA21-1, PD-1, PD-2, TGF-ß1, and SCC were decreased, the QoL score was increased 3 years post-treatment, and the recurrence time was prolonged in the research group (P<0.05). The R0 resection rate, recurrence rate, 3-year overall SR, and disease-free SR of the two groups were 67.12% vs 85.71%, 21.36% vs 6.67%, 56.27% vs 77.14%, 29.83% vs 45.71%, respectively (P<0.05). The complication rates of the two groups were 32.54% and 29.52%, respectively (P>0.05). NAT plus radical resection of EC can effectively reduce the level of serum oncology markers in patients with locally advanced EC, reduce the postoperative recurrence rate, improve QoL and SR, and has high safety.

[Comparison of the efficacy and safety of capecitabine or tegafur, gimeracil and oteracil potassium capsules combined with oxaliplatin chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy regimens oxaliplatin combined with capecitabine (CAPOX) or oxaliplatin combined with tegafur, gimeracil and oteracil potassium capsules (S-1)(SOX), and to investigate the value of expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) proteins in tumor tissue for predicting the efficacy of CAPOX and SOX regimens in advanced gastric cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 107 newly-diagnosed, stage Ⅲc/Ⅳ gastric cancer patients (no surgical indication, ECOG performance scores 0-2 and expected survival time ≥3 months) were recruited with 101 patients evaluated. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One was study group in which the patients received CAPOX regimen. The other was control group received SOX regimen. Each patient received four cycles, at least two cycles chemotherapy every three weeks and followed up until death or lost. Tumor biopsies were obtained by gastroscopy for immunohistochemical examination of the expression of TP and DPD proteins before chemotherapy. Response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and time to tumor progression (TTP) of the patients were assessed. RESULTS: The objective response rate (ORR) of the study and control groups was 49.0% (5/51) vs. 46.0% (23/50), respectively (P>0.05). The overall survival (OS) was 357.36±24.69 days in the study group and 349.87±22.63 days in the control group, and the time-to-progression (TTP) was 216.75±19.32 days in the study group and 220.54±18.47 days in the control group (P>0.05 for both). Stratified analysis showed that the ORR of TP-positive patients in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (72.0 % vs. 41.7 %, P=0.032). There was no significant difference in ORR between the TP-negative patients in the study and control groups (26.9% vs. 50.0%, P=0.087), while the ORR of DPD-positive patients in the control group was significantly higher than that of the study group (51.9% vs. 34.6%, P=0.046). There was no significant difference in the ORR between DPD-negative patients in the study and control groups (64.0% vs. 39.1%, P=0.084). The follow-up showed that the OS (378.42±22.56 days) and TTP (271.77±24.92 days) in the TP-positive patients of the study group were significantly longer than those of the control group (OS: 326.57±19.84 days, and TTP: 229.13±22.68 days)( P<0.05). The OS was 371.25±23.97 days and TTP was 264.66±21.36 days in the DPD-positive patients of control group, significantly longer than those of the study group (OS: 334.73±21.47days, and TTP: 208.58±20.70 days) (P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in the OS and TTP between the TP- and DPD-negative patients in the two groups (P>0.05). In respect of adverse events, both the rates of hematological and non-hematological toxicities were low and similar between the two groups (P>0.05), and well-tolerated by the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Both CAPOX and SOX regimens are effective chemotherapeutic protocols in treatment of patients with advanced gastric cancer. The expression levels of TP and DPD in tumor tissue can be used as a predictive factor for the efficacy of capecitabine or tegafur, gimeracil and oteracil potassium capsules combined with oxaliplatin regimens. CAPOX chemotherapy regimen is more suitable for the TP-positive gastric cancer patients, and SOX regimen is more suitable for the DPS-positive gastric cancer patients.

Recurrent Tuberous Sclerosis Complex/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Mutations Define Primary Renal Hemangioblastoma as a Unique Entity Distinct From Its Central Nervous System Counterpart.

ABSTRACT: Renal hemangioblastoma (HB) is a rare subset of HBs arising outside of the central nervous system (CNS), with its molecular drivers remaining entirely unknown. There were no significant alterations detected in previous studies, including von Hippel-Lindau gene alterations, which are commonly associated with CNS-HB. This study aimed to determine the real molecular identity of renal HB and better understand its relationship with CNS-HB. A cohort of 10 renal HBs was submitted for next-generation sequencing technology. As a control, 5 classic CNS-HBs were similarly analyzed. Based on the molecular results, glycoprotein nonmetastatic B (GPNMB) immunohistochemistry was further performed in the cases of renal HB and CNS-HB. Mutational analysis demonstrated that all 10 renal HBs harbored somatic mutations in tuberous sclerosis complex 1 ( TSC1 , 5 cases), TSC2 (3 cases), and mammalian target of rapamycin (2 cases), with the majority classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic. The CNS-HB cohort uniformly demonstrated somatic mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau gene. GPNMB was strong and diffuse in all 10 renal HBs and completely negative in CNS-HBs, reinforcing the molecular findings. Our study reveals a specific molecular hallmark in renal HB, characterized by recurrent TSC/mammalian target of rapamycin mutations, which defines it as a unique entity distinct from CNS-HB. This molecular finding potentially expands the therapeutic options for patients with renal HB. GPNMB can be considered for inclusion in immunohistochemical panels to improve renal HB identification.

EBUS-TBLC increase the diagnosis rate in different type of peripheral pulmonary lesions.

Background and objective: Recently, endobronchial ultrasonography with guide sheath-guided (EBUS-GS) has been increasingly used in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) from human natural orifice. However, the diagnostic rate is still largely dependent on the location of the lesion and the probe. Here, we reported a new procedure to improve the diagnostic rate of EBUS-transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (EBUS-TBLC), which performed under general anesthesia with laryngeal mask airway (LMA) in all of the patients. This study retrospectively evaluated the diagnosis of PPLs with 'blind-ending' type (Type I) and 'pass-through' type procedures (Type II) of EBUS-GS-TBLB or EBUS-TBLC respectively. Methods: Retrospective review of 136 cases performed by EBUS-GS-TBLB or EBUS-TBLC for PPLs over 2 years. Results: A total of 126 cases EBUS-GS-TBLB or EBUS-TBLC were performed during the study period. Among them, 66 (52.4%) were performed Type I and 60 (47.6%) were performed Type II. Clinical baseline characteristics did not differ between two groups. The overall diagnosis rate of 126 patients with EBUS-GS-TBLB or EBUS-TBLC was 73% (92/126), and different method type have significant influence on the diagnostic yield (P = 0.012, x2 = 4.699). Among them, diagnostic yields for Type I with forceps biopsy (n=34), Type I with cryobiopsy (n=32), Type II with forceps biopsy (n=30), and Type II with cryobiopsy (n=30) were 72.5%, 64.5%, 70.4% and 74.2% respectively (Figure 2A). The study further compared the outcomes of different procedures in concentric and eccentric lesion. Diagnostic yields for Type I with eccentric (n=30), Type I with concentric (n=36), Type II with eccentric (n=34), and Type II with concentric (n=26) were 58.2%, 76.9%, 60.2% and 74.8%, respectively (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications in 126 patients was 2.6%. Conclusion: EBUS-GS-TBLB and EBUS-TBLC both are very safe and highly diagnostic technique; different method types have significant influence on the diagnostic yield. Moreover, Type II procedure has higher diagnostic yield. In addition, Type I with eccentric had the lowest diagnosis yield.

CTSL, a prognostic marker of breast cancer, that promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion in cells in triple-negative breast cancer.

Introduction: In the world, the incidence of breast cancer has surpassed that of lung cancer, and it has become the first malignant tumor among women. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) shows an extremely heterogeneous malignancy toward high recurrence, metastasis, and mortality, but there is a lack of effective targeted therapy. It is urgent to develop novel molecular targets in the occurrence and therapeutics for TNBC, and novel therapeutic strategies to block the recurrence and metastasis of TNBC. Methods: In this study, CTSL (cathepsin L) expression in tissues and adjacent tissues of TNBC patients was monitored by immunohistochemistry and western blots. The correlations between CTSL expressions and clinicopathological characteristics in the patient tissues for TNBC were analyzed. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assay were also performed when over-expressed or knocked-down CTSL. Results: We found that the level of CTSL in TNBC is significantly higher than that in the matched adjacent tissues, and associated with differentiated degree, TNM Stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastatic status in TNBC patients. The high level of CTSL was correlated with a short RFS (p<0.001), OS (p<0.001), DMFS (p<0.001), PPS (p= 0.0025) in breast cancer from online databases; while in breast cancer with lymph node-positive, high level of CTSL was correlated with a short DMFS (p<0.001) and RFS (p<0.001). Moreover, in vitro experiments showed that CTSL overexpression promotes the abilities for proliferation, migration, and invasion in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, while knocking-down CTSL decreases its characteristics in MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Conclusion: CTSL might involve into the regulation of the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of TNBC. Thus, CTSL would be a novel, potential therapeutic, and prognostic target of TNBC.

COVID-19 receptor and malignant cancers: Association of CTSL expression with susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2.

CTSL is expressed by cancerous tissues and encodes a lysosomal cysteine proteinase that regulates cancer progression and SARS-CoV-2 entry. Therefore, it is critical to predict the susceptibility of cancer patients for SARS-CoV-2 and evaluate the correlation between disease outcomes and the expression of CTSL in malignant cancer tissues. In the current study, we analyzed CTSL expression, mutation rate, survival and COVID-19 disease outcomes in cancer and normal tissues, using online databases. We also performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) to test CTSL expression and western blot to monitor its regulation by cordycepin (CD), and N6, N6-dimethyladenosine (m62A), respectively. We found that CTSL is conserved across different species, and highly expressed in both normal and cancer tissues from human, as compared to ACE2 or other proteinases/proteases. Additionally, the expression of CTSL protein was the highest in the lung tissue. We show that the mRNA expression of CTSL is 66.4-fold higher in normal lungs and 54.8-fold higher in cancer tissues, as compared to ACE2 mRNA expression in the respective tissues. Compared to other proteases/proteinases/convertases such as TMPRSS2 and FURIN, the expression of CTSL was higher in both normal lungs and lung cancer samples. All these data indicate that CTSL might play an important role in COVID-19 pathogenesis in normal and cancer tissues of the lungs. Additionally, the CTSL-002 isoform containing both the inhibitor_I29 and Peptidase_C1 domains was highly prevalent in all cancers, suggesting its potential role in tumor progression and SARS-CoV-2 entry in multiple types of cancers. Further analysis of the expression of CTSL mutant showed a correlation with FURIN and TMPRSS2, suggesting a potential role of CTSL mutations in modulating SARS-CoV-2 entry in cancers. Moreover, high expression of CTSL significantly correlated with a short overall survival (OS) in lung cancer and glioma. Thus, CTSL might play a major role in the susceptibility of lung cancer and glioma patients to SARS-CoV-2 uptake and COVID-19 severity. Furthermore, CD or m62A inhibited CTSL expression in the cancer cell lines A549, MDA-MB-231, and/or PC3 in a dose dependent manner. In conclusion, we show that CTSL is highly expressed in normal tissues and increased in most cancers, and CD or m62A could inhibit its expression, suggesting the therapeutic potential of targeting CTSL for cancer and COVID-19 treatment.

Clinicopathologic Features and Genomic Signature of De Novo CD5 + Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma : A Multicenter Collaborative Study.

De novo CD5 + diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has poor survival in the era of immunochemotherapy. Accurate gene-based typing and prognostic stratification can enhance the development of effective individualized treatments. Therefore, we conducted a multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics, genomic profiles, and prognostic parameters of 61 patients with CD5 + DLBCL and 60 patients with CD5 - DLBCL, with the goal of facilitating accurate prognostic stratification and potential individualized treatment strategies. Compared with patients with CD5 - DLBCL, older age, advanced stage, higher incidence of central nervous system involvement, and MYC/BCL-2 and p53 overexpression were more prevalent in CD5 + DLBCL. Most patients with CD5 + DLBCL had lymph nodes with non-germinal center B-cell-like or activated B-cell-like subtype according to immunohistochemistry or Lymph2Cx assay. Next-generation sequencing showed that the proportion of MCD subtype (based on the co-occurrence of MYD88 and CD79B mutations) in the CD5 + DLBCL cohort was higher than that in the CD5 - DLBCL cohort (54.2% vs. 13.0%, P =0.005). Compared with the CD5 - cohort, CD5 + DLBCL patients showed poor 5-year overall survival (70.9% vs. 39.0%, P <0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that cell of origin, MYC/BCL-2, p53, and BCL-6 expression did not have a prognostic impact on patients with CD5 + DLBCL. Multivariate analysis showed that age above 76 years, advanced stage, higher incidence of central nervous system involvement, and hypoalbuminemia were independent factors for poor prognosis in CD5 + DLBCL patients. In summary, CD5 + DLBCL displays poor prognosis, distinctive clinicopathologic characteristics and predominant genetic features of activated B-cell-like and MCD subtypes with worse survival outcome.

[The correlation between chemotherapeutic efficacy and breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 and class IIIß-tubulin protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) and class IIIß-tubulin protein expression in tumor tissue for the efficacy of taxol and cisplatin combined chemotherapy (TP) in stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: A total of 92 stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients were recruited with 87 patients evaluated. Bronchoscopy or lung puncture tumor biopsy samples were obtained with BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin protein expression examined immunohistochemically before chemotherapy. The patients were randomly assigned to be received 4 to 6 cycles of TP chemotherapy regiments and followed up until death or lost. Response rate (RR), overall survival (OS) and time to tumor progression (TTP) were assessed. RESULTS: Among the 87 evaluated patients, the positive expression rates of BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin were 57.5% (50/87) and 48.3% (42/87) respectively. There was no significant difference in clinical characteristics among patients with different positive expression rate. According to different expression of BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin, the patients were divided into four groups: group A (low expression of both BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin), group B (high expression of both BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin), group C (high expression of only BRCA1) and group D (high expression of only class IIIß-tubulin). The RR was higher in group A than other three groups (60.7%, 34.8%, 9/19 and 6/17 respectively). The OS and TTP were longer in group A than other three groups [OS: (539.4 ± 17.6) days, (267.2 ± 20.5) days, (325.6 ± 24.1) days and (283.7 ± 26.2) days respectively; TTP: (256.9 ± 28.4) days, (143.8 ± 17.6) days, (179.3 ± 19.8) days and (152.6 ± 23.5) days respectively]. There were no significant differences among the other three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The expression level of BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin in tumor tissue is probably a predictor for the efficacy of TP chemotherapy in NSCLC patients. TP chemotherapy is more suitable for the NSCLC patients with lower expression of both BRCA1 and class IIIß-tubulin. Our study may provide a new sight for tailored chemotherapy in NSCLC patients.

CircARVCF Contributes to Cisplatin Resistance in Gastric Cancer by Altering miR-1205 and FGFR1.

Background: Chemoresistance is a major barrier to the treatment of human cancers. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in drug resistance in cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we aimed to explore the functions of circRNA Armadillo Repeat gene deleted in Velo-Cardio-Facial syndrome (circARVCF) in cisplatin (DDP) resistance in GC. Methods: The expression of circARVCF, microRNA-1205 (miR-1205) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot assay or immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay were performed to evaluate DDP resistance and cell colony formation ability. Transwell assay was conducted to assess cell migration and invasion. Flow cytometry analysis was done to analyze cell apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were manipulated to analyze the relationships of circARVCF, miR-1205 and FGFR1. Murine xenograft model was constructed to explore DDP resistance in vivo. Results: CircARVCF level was increased in DDP-resistant GC tissues and cells. CircARVCF silencing inhibited DDP resistance, colony formation and metastasis and induced apoptosis in DDP-resistant GC cells. CircARVCF directly interacted with miR-1205 and miR-1205 inhibition reversed circARVCF silencing-mediated effect on DDP resistance in DDP-resistant GC cells. FGFR1 served as the target gene of miR-1205. MiR-1205 overexpression restrained the resistance of DDP-resistant GC cells to DDP, but FGFR1 elevation abated the effect. In addition, circARVCF knockdown repressed DDP resistance in vivo. Conclusion: CircARVCF enhanced DDP resistance in GC by elevating FGFR1 through sponging miR-1205.

LPCAT1 reprogramming cholesterol metabolism promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Tumor cells require high levels of cholesterol for membrane biogenesis for rapid proliferation during development. Beyond the acquired cholesterol from low-density lipoprotein (LDL) taken up from circulation, tumor cells can also biosynthesize cholesterol. The molecular mechanism underlying cholesterol anabolism in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its effect on patient prognosis are unclear. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism is common in cancer. Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) has been implicated in various cancer types; however, its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. In this study, we identified that LPCAT1 is highly expressed in ESCC and that LPCAT1 reprograms cholesterol metabolism in ESCC. LPCAT1 expression was negatively correlated with patient prognosis. Cholesterol synthesis in ESCC cells was significantly inhibited following LPCAT1 knockdown; cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were significantly reduced, along with the growth of xenograft subcutaneous tumors. LPCAT1 could regulate the expression of the cholesterol synthesis enzyme, SQLE, by promoting the activation of PI3K, thereby regulating the entry of SP1/SREBPF2 into the nucleus. LPCAT1 also activates EGFR leading to the downregulation of INSIG-1 expression, facilitating the entry of SREBP-1 into the nucleus to promote cholesterol synthesis. Taken together, LPCAT1 reprograms tumor cell cholesterol metabolism in ESCC and can be used as a potential treatment target against ESCC.

lncRNA MORT Regulates Bladder Cancer Behaviors by Downregulating MicroRNA-146a-5p.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the progression of various cancers. lncRNA MORT is downregulated in bladder cancer, while its function in this disease is unknown. METHODS: lncRNA MORT and miR-146a-5p expression in 56 bladder cancer patients was detected by RT-qPCR. Correlations between MORT and miR-146a-5p were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient. CCK-8 and flow transwell assays were applied to examine the behavioral changes in HT-1197 and HT-1376. RESULTS: We found that miR-146a-5p was upregulated, while lncRNA MORT was downregulated in bladder cancer. miR-146a-5p and MORT were inversely and significantly correlated in tumor tissues. Overexpression of miR-146a-5p promoted, while overexpression of lncRNA MORT inhibited the invasion, migration, and proliferation of cells of bladder cancer cell lines. In addition, overexpression of lncRNA MORT inhibited miR-146a-5p; miR-146a-5p overexpression failed to significantly affect lncRNA MORT expression but attenuated its inhibitory effects on cancer cell behaviors. CONCLUSION: lncRNA MORT may regulate bladder cancer cell behaviors by downregulating miR-146a-5p.

SLC14A1 (UT-B) gene rearrangement in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BC) is a common and deadly disease. Over the past decade, a number of genetic alterations have been reported in BC. Bladder urothelium expresses abundant urea transporter UT-B encoded by Slc14a1 gene at 18q12.3 locus, which plays an important role in preventing high concentrated urea-caused cell injury. Early genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that UT-B gene mutations are genetically linked to the urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC). In this study, we examined whether Slc14a1 gene has been changed in UBC, which has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old male was admitted to a hospital with the complaint of gross hematuria for 6 days. Ultrasonography revealed a size of 2.8 × 1.7 cm mass lesion located on the rear wall and dome of the bladder. In cystoscopic examination, papillary tumoral lesions 3.0-cm in total diameter were seen on the left wall of the bladder and 2 cm to the left ureteric orifice. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) was performed. Histology showed high-grade non-muscle invasive UBC. Immunostaining was negative for Syn, CK7, CK20, Villin, and positive for HER2, BRCA1, GATA3. Using a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), Slc14a1 gene rearrangement was identified by a pair of break-apart DNA probes. CONCLUSIONS: We for the first time report a patient diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma accompanied with split Slc14a1 gene abnormality, a crucial gene in bladder.

Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing Identified Novel Compound Heterozygous Variants in the CDH23 Gene Causing Usher Syndrome Type ID in a Chinese Patient.

Usher syndrome includes a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous autosomal recessive diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and sensorineural hearing loss. Usher syndrome type I (USHI) is characterized by profound hearing impairment beginning at birth, vestibular dysfunction, and unintelligible speech in addition to RP. The relationships between the Usher syndrome causing genes and the resultant phenotypes of Usher syndrome have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, we recruited a Chinese family with Usher syndrome and conducted paneled next-generation sequencing, Sanger sequencing, segregation analysis, and expression profile analysis. The functional effects of the identified cadherin-related 23 (CDH23) pathogenic variants were analyzed. The M101 pedigree consisted of a proband and seven family members, and the proband was a 39-year-old Chinese male who claimed that he first began to experience night blindness 11 years ago. We revealed novel, missense compound heterozygous variants c. 2572G > A (p.V858I) and c. 2891G > A (p.R964Q) in the CDH23 gene, which co-segregated with the disease phenotype causing Usher syndrome type ID (USH1D) in this Chinese pedigree. CDH23 mRNA was highly expressed in the retina, and this protein was highly conserved as revealed by the comparison of Homo sapiens CDH23 with those from nine other species. This is the first study to identify the novel, missense compound heterozygous variants c. 2572G > A (p.V858I) and c.2891G > A (p.R964Q) of CDH23, which might cause USH1D in the studied Chinese family, thereby extending CDH23 mutation spectra. Identifying CDH23 pathogenic variants should help in the detailed phenotypic characterization of USH1D.

Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy of Macrophage-Mediated Egg Yolk Lipid-Derived Delivery System Against Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for most cancers apart from surgery. However, the use of chemotherapeutic drugs is limited by side effects and restricted accumulation in tumors because of unique tumor microenvironments. Macrophages have excellent drug delivery potential owing to their chemotaxis and can home in on tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed an effective drug-delivery system for doxorubicin using macrophages. Doxorubicin-loaded egg yolk lipid-derived nanovectors (EYLNs-Dox) were prepared, EYLNs-Dox-loaded macrophages (Mac/EYLNs-Dox) were developed and their tumor penetration and anti-cancer activity against 4T1 cells were analyzed. The biodistribution and anti-4T1 breast cancer activities were determined using 4T1 subcutaneous and lung metastasis models. RESULTS: EYLNs-Dox was successfully internalized into macrophages without affecting their viability and was less toxic than Dox. Mac/EYLNs-Dox penetrated the 4T1 tumor spheroids more efficiently and was more effective in inhibiting tumors in vitro. Macrophages significantly enhanced the distribution of EYLNs vectors in both inflammatory and tumor sites, playing a more effective role in the inhibition of tumors. CONCLUSION: EYLNs-Dox can be effectively delivered using macrophages and Mac/EYLNs-Dox might be a promising targeted delivery system for breast cancer.

Leukocyte-Mediated Combined Targeted Chemo and Gene Therapy for Esophageal Cancer.

Poor prognosis of esophageal cancer is associated with limited clinical treatment efficacy and lack of targeted therapies. With advances in nanomedicine, nanoparticle drug delivery systems play increasingly important roles in tumor treatment by enabling the simultaneous delivery of multiple therapeutic agents. We here propose a novel nanovector for targeted combination gene therapy and chemotherapy in esophageal cancer. A novel lipid nanovector (EYLN) was designed to carry the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (Dox) and small interfering RNA against the lipid anabolic metabolism gene LPCAT1, which we previously showed to be significantly overexpressed in esophageal cancer tissues, and its interference inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of esophageal cancer cells. This vector, EYLN-Dox/siLPCAT1, was further coated with leukocyte membranes to obtain mEYLNs-Dox/siLPCAT1. The particle size of the coated nanovector was approximately 136 nm, and the surface zeta potential was -21.18 mV. Compared with EYLNs-Dox/siLPCAT1, mEYLNs-Dox/siLPCAT1 were more easily internalized by esophageal cancer cells due to the LFA-1 highly expressed leukocyte membrane coating and showed significant inhibition of the proliferation, migration, and metastasis of esophageal cancer cells, along with their LPCAT1 expression, through more effective delivery of the drugs. Moreover, the nanovectors showed improved blood circulation time, tissue distribution, tumor targeting, and tumor suppression in a mouse model. Thus, combining chemo and gene therapy with this new nanodelivery system achieved greater therapeutic efficacy, providing a new strategy for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Nanovector Assembled from Natural Egg Yolk Lipids for Tumor-Targeted Delivery of Therapeutics.

Nanomedicine uses nanotechnology-based strategies for precision tumor therapy, including passive and ligand-mediated active tumor targeting by nanocarriers. However, the possible biotoxicity of chemosynthetic nanovectors limits their clinical applications. A novel natural egg yolk lipid nanovector (EYLN) was developed for effective loading and delivery of therapeutic agents. Lipids were extracted from egg yolks and reassembled into nanosized particles. EYLNs' stability, cellular uptake, toxicity, and delivery capacity for therapeutic agents were evaluated in vitro. The systemic toxicity and biodistribution of EYLNs were analyzed in normal mice, and the therapeutic effects of doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded EYLNs were evaluated in mouse breast cancer and hepatoma models. EYLNs had a particle size of ∼40 nm and a surface ζ-potential of -45 mV and were effectively internalized by tumor cells, without showing toxicity and side effects in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, their excellent permeability and retention effect significantly enhanced the distribution of EYLNs at tumor sites, and EYLN-Dox effectively inhibited the tumor growth in both mouse models. Targeted modification with folic acid further promoted vector-mediated drug distribution in tumors. This study demonstrates that lipids with specific proportions in the egg yolk can be used to construct natural drug vectors, providing a new strategy for nano-oncology research.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0007142 Is Upregulated and Targets miR-103a-2-5p in Colorectal Cancer.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a large class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression and mainly function as microRNA sponges. This study aimed to explore the aberrant expression of circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC). Using a circRNA microarray, we identified 892 differentially expressed circRNAs between six pairs of CRC and adjacent paracancerous tissues. Among them, hsa_circ_0007142 was significantly upregulated. Further analysis in 50 CRC clinical samples revealed that hsa_circ_0007142 upregulation was associated with poor differentiation and lymphatic metastasis of CRC. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay showed that hsa_circ_0007142 targeted miR-103a-2-5p in CRC cells. Moreover, the silencing of hsa_circ_0007142 by siRNAs decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HT-29 and HCT-116 cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that hsa_circ_0007142 is upregulated in CRC and targets miR-103a-2-5p to promote CRC.

Metabolomic profiling identifies novel biomarkers and mechanisms in human bladder cancer treated with submucosal injection of gemcitabine.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common urinary tract malignancy with frequent recurrences after initial resection. Submucosal injection of gemcitabine prior to transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) may prevent recurrence of urothelial cancer. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, ultra­performance liquid chromatography Q­Exactive mass spectrometry was used to profile tissue metabolites from 12 BCa patients. The 48 samples included pre­ and post­gemcitabine treatment BCa tissues, as well as adjacent normal tissues. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the metabolic profiles of pre­gemcitabine BCa tissues differed significantly from those of pre­gemcitabine normal tissues. A total of 34 significantly altered metabolites were further analyzed. Pathway analysis using MetaboAnalyst identified three metabolic pathways closely associated with BCa, including glutathione, purine and thiamine metabolism, while glutathione metabolism was also identified by the enrichment analysis using MetaboAnalyst. In search of the possible targets of gemcitabine, metabolite profiles were compared between the pre­gemcitabine normal and post­gemcitabine BCa tissues. Among the 34 metabolites associated with BCa, the levels of bilirubin and retinal recovered in BCa tissues treated with gemcitabine. When comparing normal bladder tissues with and without gemcitabine treatment, among the 34 metabolites associated with BCa, it was observed that histamine change may be associated with the prevention of relapse, whereas thiamine change may be involved in possible side effects. Therefore, by employing a hypothesis­free tissue­based metabolomics study, the present study investigated the metabolic signatures of BCa and found that bilirubin and retinal may be involved in the mechanism underlying the biomolecular action of submucosal injection of gemcitabine in urothelial BCa.

FGFRL1 Promotes Ovarian Cancer Progression by Crosstalk with Hedgehog Signaling.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor-like-1 (FGFRL1) has been identified as the fifth fibroblast growth factor receptor. So far, little is known about its biological functions, particularly in cancer development. Here, for the first time, we demonstrated the roles of FGFRL1 in ovarian carcinoma (OC). An array and existing databases were used to investigate the expression profile of FGFRL1 and the relationship between FGFRL1 expression and clinicopathological parameters. FGFRL1 was significantly upregulated in OC patients, and high FGFRL1 expression was correlated with poor prognosis. In vitro cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration assays, and in vivo subcutaneous xenograft tumor models were used to determine the role of FGFRL1. Loss of function of FGFRL1 significantly influenced cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of OC cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Chromatin immunoprecipitation PCR analysis and microarray hybridization were performed to uncover the mechanism. FGFRL1 expression could be induced by hypoxia through hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, which directly binds to the promoter elements of FGFRL1. FGFRL1 promoted tumor progression by crosstalk with Hedgehog (Hh) signaling. Taken together, FGFRL1 is a potential predictor and plays an important role in tumor growth and Hh signaling which could serve as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of OC.