Developmental and therapeutic implications of IL4ra expression for rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a solid tumor whose metastatic progression can be accelerated through interleukin-4 receptor alpha (Il4ra) mediated interaction with normal muscle stem cells (satellite cells). To understand the function of Il4ra in this tumor initiation phase of RMS, we conditionally deleted Il4ra in genetically-engineered RMS mouse models. Nullizygosity of Il4ra altered the latency, site and/or stage distribution of RMS tumors compared to IL4RA intact models. Primary tumor cell cultures taken from the genetically-engineered models then used in orthotopic allografts further defined the interaction of satellite cells and RMS tumor cells in the context of tumor initiation: in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), satellite cell co-injection was necessary for Il4ra null tumor cells engraftment, whereas in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS), satellite cell co-injection decreased latency of engraftment of Il4ra wildtype tumor cells but not Il4ra null tumor cells. When refocusing on Il4ra wildtype tumors by single cell sequencing and cytokine studies, we have uncovered a putative signaling interplay of Il4 from T-lymphocytes being received by Il4ra + rhabdomyosarcoma tumor cells, which in turn express Ccl2, the ligand for Ccr2 and Ccr5. Taken together, these results suggest that mutations imposed during tumor initiation have different effects than genetic or therapeutic intervention imposed once tumors are already formed. We also propose that CCL2 and its cognate receptors CCR2 and/or CCR5 are potential therapeutic targets in Il4ra mediated RMS progression.

Mechanical circulatory support versus vasopressors alone in patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have compared Impella use to intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) use in patients with acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Our objective was to compare clinical outcomes in patients with AMI-CS undergoing PCI who received Impella (percutaneous left ventricular assist device) without vasopressors, IABP without vasopressors, and vasopressors without mechanical circulatory support (MCS). METHODS: We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) using ICD-10 codes (2015-2018) to identify patients with AMI-CS undergoing PCI. We created three propensity-matched cohorts to examine clinical outcomes in patients receiving Impella versus IABP, Impella versus vasopressors without MCS, and IABP versus vasopressors without MCS. RESULTS: Among 17,762 patients, Impella use was associated with significantly higher in-hospital major bleeding (31.4% vs. 13.6%; p < 0.001) and hospital charges (p < 0.001) compared to IABP use, with no benefit in mortality (34.1% vs. 26.9%; p = 0.06). Impella use was associated with significantly higher mortality (42.3% vs. 35.7%; p = 0.02), major bleeding (33.9% vs. 22.7%; p = 0.001), and hospital charges (p < 0.001), when compared to the use of vasopressors without MCS. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between IABP use and the use of vasopressor without MCS. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis of retrospective data of patients with AMI-CS undergoing PCI, Impella use was associated with higher mortality, major bleeding, and in-hospital charges when compared to vasopressor therapy without MCS. When compared to IABP use, Impella was associated with no mortality benefit, along with higher major bleeding events and in-hospital charges. A vasopressor-only strategy suggested no difference in clinical outcomes when compared to IABP. This study uses the NIS for the first time to highlight outcomes in AMI-CS patients undergoing PCI when treated with vasopressor support without MCS, compared to Impella and IABP use.

Sensitization of osteosarcoma to irradiation by targeting nuclear FGFR1.

Over the past 25 years, chemotherapy regimens for osteosarcoma have failed to improve the 65-70% long-term survival rate. Radiation therapy is generally ineffective except for palliative care. We here investigated whether osteosarcoma can be sensitized to radiation therapy targeting specific molecules in osteosarcoma. Large-scale RNA sequencing analysis in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines revealed that FGFR1 is the most frequently expressed receptor tyrosine kinase in osteosarcoma. Nuclear FGFR1 (nFGFR1) was observed by subcellular localization assays. The functional studies using a FGFR1IIIb antibody or small molecule FGFR1 inhibitors showed that nFGFR1, but not membrane-bound FGFR1, induces G2 cell-cycle checkpoint adaptation, cell survival and polyploidy following irradiation in osteosarcoma cells. Further, the activation of nFGFR1 induces Histone H3 phosphorylation at Ser 10 and c-jun/c-fos expression to contribute cell survival rendering radiation resistance. Furthermore, an in vivo mouse study revealed that radiation resistance can be reversed by the inhibition of nFGFR1. Our findings provide insights into the potential role of nFGFR1 to radiation resistance. Thus, we propose nFGFR1 could be a potential therapeutic target or a biomarker to determine which patients might benefit from radiation therapy.

Bromodomain 4 inhibition leads to MYCN downregulation in Wilms tumor.

BACKGROUND: Wilms tumor is the most common childhood kidney cancer. Two distinct histological subtypes of Wilms tumor have been described: tumors lacking anaplasia (the favorable subtype) and tumors displaying anaplastic features (the unfavorable subtype). Children with favorable disease generally have a very good prognosis, whereas those with anaplasia are oftentimes refractory to standard treatments and suffer poor outcomes, leading to an unmet clinical need. MYCN dysregulation has been associated with a number of pediatric cancers including Wilms tumor. PROCEDURES: In this context, we undertook a functional genomics approach to uncover novel therapeutic strategies for those patients with anaplastic Wilms tumor. Genomic analysis and in vitro experimentation demonstrate that cell growth can be reduced by modulating MYCN overexpression via bromodomain 4 (BRD4) inhibition in both anaplastic and nonanaplastic Wilms tumor models. RESULTS: We observed a time-dependent reduction of MYCN and MYCC protein levels upon BRD4 inhibition in Wilms tumor cell lines, which led to cell death and proliferation suppression. BRD4 inhibition significantly reduced tumor volumes in Wilms tumor patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that AZD5153, a novel dual-BRD4 inhibitor, can reduce MYCN levels in both anaplastic and nonanaplastic Wilms tumor cell lines, reduces tumor volume in Wilms tumor PDXs, and should be further explored for its therapeutic potential.

Lineage of origin in rhabdomyosarcoma informs pharmacological response.

Lineage or cell of origin of cancers is often unknown and thus is not a consideration in therapeutic approaches. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (aRMS) is an aggressive childhood cancer for which the cell of origin remains debated. We used conditional genetic mouse models of aRMS to activate the pathognomonic Pax3:Foxo1 fusion oncogene and inactivate p53 in several stages of prenatal and postnatal muscle development. We reveal that lineage of origin significantly influences tumor histomorphology and sensitivity to targeted therapeutics. Furthermore, we uncovered differential transcriptional regulation of the Pax3:Foxo1 locus by tumor lineage of origin, which led us to identify the histone deacetylase inhibitor entinostat as a pharmacological agent for the potential conversion of Pax3:Foxo1-positive aRMS to a state akin to fusion-negative RMS through direct transcriptional suppression of Pax3:Foxo1.

Age-associated genes in human mammary gland drive human breast cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Aging is a comorbidity of breast cancer suggesting that aging-associated transcriptome changes may promote breast cancer progression. However, the mechanism underlying the age effect on breast cancer remains poorly understood. METHOD: We analyzed transcriptomics of the matched normal breast tissues from the 82 breast cancer patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset with linear regression for genes with age-associated expression that are not associated with menopause. We also analyzed differentially expressed genes between the paired tumor and non-tumor breast tissues in TCGA for the identification of age and breast cancer (ABC)-associated genes. A few of these genes were selected for further investigation of their malignancy-regulating activities with in vitro and in vivo assays. RESULTS: We identified 148 upregulated and 189 downregulated genes during aging. Overlapping of tumor-associated genes between normal and tumor tissues with age-dependent genes resulted in 14 upregulated and 24 downregulated genes that were both age and breast cancer associated. These genes are predictive in relapse-free survival, indicative of their potential tumor promoting or suppressive functions, respectively. Knockdown of two upregulated genes (DYNLT3 and P4HA3) or overexpression of the downregulated ALX4 significantly reduced breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and clonogenicity. Moreover, knockdown of P4HA3 reduced growth and metastasis whereas overexpression of ALX4 inhibited the growth of xenografted breast cancer cells in mice. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that transcriptome alterations during aging may contribute to breast tumorigenesis. DYNLT3, P4HA3, and ALX4 play significant roles in breast cancer progression.

Serum microRNA profiles among dioxin exposed veterans with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

Previously an increased risk for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a precursor of multiple myeloma (MM), was reported among Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange and its contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Dysregulated expression of certain microRNAs (miRNAs) was demonstrated in MGUS and MM. Given the important role of miRNAs in cellular homeostasis, the aim of this study was to determine if there was an association between serum levels of selected miRNAs and TCDD in 47 MGUS cases identified in our previous investigation using serum specimens and exposure data archived by the Air Force Health Study (AFHS). A total of 13 miRNA levels (let-7a, let-7i, miR-16, miR-20a, miR-21, miR-34a, miR-106b, miR-146a, miR-181a, miR-192, miR-205, miR-335, and miR-361) was measured in serum stored during the 2002 AFHS follow-up and the relationship to lipid-adjusted serum TCDD levels in 1987 was determined. miR-34a showed the strongest relationship with TCDD; after age-adjustment, this positive association was more pronounced. In contrast, the other 12 miRNAs displayed absolute values of age adjusted coefficient estimates below 1.16 and non-significant p-values. The observed strong positive association between high body burdens of TCDD and miR-34a, a tumor suppressor regulated by p53, in this MGUS population warrants clarification of the TCDD-miR-34a relationship and its role in the pathogenesis of MGUS and risk for MM.

Probabilistic modeling of personalized drug combinations from integrated chemical screen and molecular data in sarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients with advanced disease routinely exhaust available clinical regimens and lack actionable genomic medicine results, leaving a large patient population without effective treatments options when their disease inevitably progresses. To address the unmet clinical need for evidence-based therapy assignment when standard clinical approaches have failed, we have developed a probabilistic computational modeling approach which integrates molecular sequencing data with functional assay data to develop patient-specific combination cancer treatments. METHODS: Tissue taken from a murine model of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma was used to perform single agent drug screening and DNA/RNA sequencing experiments; results integrated via our computational modeling approach identified a synergistic personalized two-drug combination. Cells derived from the primary murine tumor were allografted into mouse models and used to validate the personalized two-drug combination. Computational modeling of single agent drug screening and RNA sequencing of multiple heterogenous sites from a single patient's epithelioid sarcoma identified a personalized two-drug combination effective across all tumor regions. The heterogeneity-consensus combination was validated in a xenograft model derived from the patient's primary tumor. Cell cultures derived from human and canine undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma were assayed by drug screen; computational modeling identified a resistance-abrogating two-drug combination common to both cell cultures. This combination was validated in vitro via a cell regrowth assay. RESULTS: Our computational modeling approach addresses three major challenges in personalized cancer therapy: synergistic drug combination predictions (validated in vitro and in vivo in a genetically engineered murine cancer model), identification of unifying therapeutic targets to overcome intra-tumor heterogeneity (validated in vivo in a human cancer xenograft), and mitigation of cancer cell resistance and rewiring mechanisms (validated in vitro in a human and canine cancer model). CONCLUSIONS: These proof-of-concept studies support the use of an integrative functional approach to personalized combination therapy prediction for the population of high-risk cancer patients lacking viable clinical options and without actionable DNA sequencing-based therapy.

Internal Mammary Lymph Node Biopsy During Free-Flap Breast Reconstruction: Optimizing Adjuvant Breast Cancer Treatment Through Comprehensive Staging.

BACKGROUND: Accurate breast cancer staging is essential for optimal management of adjuvant therapies. While breast lymphatic drainage involves both axillary and internal mammary (IM) lymph node (LN) basins, IM LN sampling is not routinely advocated. The current study analyzes the incidence of IM LN metastases sampled during free flap breast reconstruction and subsequent changes in adjuvant treatment. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients with positive IM LN biopsies during free flap breast reconstruction was performed. Pre-reconstruction surgical and adjuvant therapies as well as staging and prognostic data were recorded. Change in adjuvant therapies based solely on IM LN positivity was determined. RESULTS: IM LN metastases were found on 28 (1.3%) out of 2057 patients and comprised the study population. Mean age was 49 years with pre-reconstruction chemotherapy or radiation administered in 50 or 54% of cases, respectively. Five (18%) patients had previously undergone lumpectomy with axillary sampling. Mean tumor size was 3.1 cm with tumor location evenly distributed among all four quadrants. Ten (36%) patients had isolated IM LN metastases Patients with both axillary and IM disease had larger lesions, increased prevalence of pre-reconstruction chemotherapy and radiation. Based exclusively on positive IM LN disease, 17 (63%) patients had a change in adjuvant therapy. CONCLUSION: Despite the low incidence of IM LN metastases, IM LN biopsy during free flap breast reconstruction is recommended. In 36% of cases, nodal metastases were isolated to the IM nodes. Identification of IM metastases influenced adjuvant therapies in a majority of cases.

A comparison of preoperative and intraoperative vein mapping sizes for arteriovenous fistula creation.

BACKGROUND: Duplex ultrasound (DUS) mapping of the veins and arteries of the upper extremity is a well-established practice in arteriovenous fistula creation for long-term hemodialysis access. Previous publications have shown that vein diameters varying from 2 to 3 mm are predictive of success. Regional anesthesia is known to result in vasodilation and thus to increase the diameter of upper extremity veins. This study compares the sizes of veins measured by preoperative DUS mapping with those obtained after regional anesthesia to determine whether intraoperative DUS results in increased vein diameters and thus changes in the operative plan. A second goal was to determine whether such changes resulted in functional access. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study conducted between July 2013 and December 2014. Consecutive patients were preoperatively mapped and then intraoperatively mapped after administration of a regional anesthetic. Comparison of vein mapping sizes and comparison of preoperative plan and operative procedure based on the preoperative and intraoperative DUS mapping, respectively, were analyzed with a repeated-measures linear model. Significance testing was two sided, with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients with end-stage renal disease underwent placement of arteriovenous access with preoperative and intraoperative DUS mapping after regional anesthesia. Comorbidities were representative of the vascular population. After regional anesthesia, intraoperative mid forearm and distal forearm cephalic veins were significantly larger than their respective preoperative measurements. Average increase in diameter of the mid forearm cephalic vein and distal forearm was 0.96 mm (P < .001) and 0.50 mm (P = .04), respectively. There was a significant difference in the number and configuration of arteriovenous accesses (P < .0001). There was more than a twofold significant increase in radial artery-based access procedures concomitant with a significant reduction of brachial-based access procedures and a reduction in graft access procedures. Overall functional access rate was 63%, and patency rates were comparable to those reported in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: The routine use of intraoperative DUS mapping after regional anesthesia is recommended to determine the optimal access site for chronic hemodialysis access. Identifying additional access options not seen with physical examination and preoperative DUS mapping will provide end-stage renal disease patients with more fistula options and hence a longer access life span for a lifelong disease.

Pleural electrical impedance is a sensitive, real-time indicator of pneumothorax.

BACKGROUND: Chest tube management protocols, particularly in patients with alveolar-pleural air leak due to recent surgery or trauma, are limited by concerns over safety, especially concerns about rapid and occult development of pneumothorax. A continuous, real-time monitor of pneumothorax could improve the quality and safety of chest tube management. We developed a rat model of pneumothorax to test a novel approach of measuring electrical impedance within the pleural space as a monitor of lung expansion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats underwent right thoracotomy. A novel impedance sensor and a thoracostomy tube were introduced into the right pleural space. Pneumothorax of varying volumes ranging from 0.2 to 20 mL was created by syringe injection of air via the thoracostomy tube. Electrical resistance measurements from the pleural sensor and fluoroscopic images were obtained at baseline and after the creation of pneumothorax and results compared. RESULTS: A statistically significant, dose-dependent increase in electrical resistance was observed with increasing volume of pneumothorax. Resistance measurement allowed for continuous, real-time monitoring of pneumothorax development and the ability to track pneumothorax resolution by aspiration of air via the thoracostomy tube. Pleural resistance measurement demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity for all volumes of pneumothorax tested and was significantly more sensitive for pneumothorax detection than fluoroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The electrical impedance-based pleural space sensor described in this study provided sensitive and specific pneumothorax detection, which was superior to radiographic analysis. Real-time, continuous monitoring for pneumothorax has the potential to improve the safety, quality, and efficiency of postoperative chest tube management.

Continuous diffusion of oxygen improves diabetic foot ulcer healing when compared with a placebo control: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess whether continuous diffusion of oxygen improves healing in people receiving treatment for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). METHOD: A double-blind, placebo control randomised study to receive either active continuous diffusion of oxygen (CDO) therapy using an active CDO device, or a fully operational placebo device without delivering oxygen. Patients were followed until closure or 12 weeks. Patients, caretakers, treating physicians and independent evaluators were blinded to the study arm. All patients received identical offloading, debridement, dressings and follow-up. RESULTS: We enrolled 146 people with DFUs (77% male, aged 56.3±12.4 years). A significantly higher proportion (195%) of DFUs healed in the CDO arm compared with placebo (32.4% versus 16.7%, p=0.033). The time to 50% DFU closure was significantly shorter in patients that received CDO therapy (mean 18.4 versus 28.9 days, p=0.001). There were no differences in overall adverse events (p=0.66) or ulcer-related adverse events (p=0.30) in the active and placebo treatment groups. The relative performance of active CDO over placebo became greater when used in larger wounds (273%), in more chronic wounds (334%) and in weight bearing wounds (465%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that CDO leads to higher proportion of healed DFUs (p=0.033) and a faster time to closure compared with placebo in people with DFUs (p=0.015). Relative performance did not vary significantly with wound size (p=0.80), but revealed better relative performance in more chronic wounds (p=0.008) and in weight-bearing wounds (p=0.003).

Cell-cycle dependent expression of a translocation-mediated fusion oncogene mediates checkpoint adaptation in rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most commonly occurring soft-tissue sarcoma in childhood. Most rhabdomyosarcoma falls into one of two biologically distinct subgroups represented by alveolar or embryonal histology. The alveolar subtype harbors a translocation-mediated PAX3:FOXO1A fusion gene and has an extremely poor prognosis. However, tumor cells have heterogeneous expression for the fusion gene. Using a conditional genetic mouse model as well as human tumor cell lines, we show that that Pax3:Foxo1a expression is enriched in G2 and triggers a transcriptional program conducive to checkpoint adaptation under stress conditions such as irradiation in vitro and in vivo. Pax3:Foxo1a also tolerizes tumor cells to clinically-established chemotherapy agents and emerging molecularly-targeted agents. Thus, the surprisingly dynamic regulation of the Pax3:Foxo1a locus is a paradigm that has important implications for the way in which oncogenes are modeled in cancer cells.

Surgical evacuation of acute subdural hematoma in octogenarians: a ten-year experience from a single trauma center.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients presenting with an acute subdural hematoma (aSDH) have historically had unfavorable outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patient records from 2005 through 2015 that were ≥80 years of age and underwent surgical evacuation of aSDH. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 84 years (range 80-91). Glascow Outcome Scale (GOS) of 4-5 was deemed a good outcome and a GOS 1-3 was deemed to be a poor outcome. Six patients had good outcome at last follow up and 27 patients had poor outcome. Patients with a higher presenting Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) trended towards better outcome [(good: mean 13.1, median 14.5, IQR 12.5-15) vs. (poor: mean 9.6, median 10, IQR 6-14) p = 0.06]. Patients with a higher in-hospital post-operative GCS score had significantly better overall outcome than patients who left the hospital with a lower GCS score [(good: mean 14.5, median 14.5, IQR 14-15) vs. (poor: mean 8.4, median 9, IQR 4-11) p = 0.001]. Patients with a good outcome had a median aSDH thickness of 17mm (IQR 12.75-19.75) while patients with a poor outcome had a median thickness of 20mm (IQR 16-24.5); p = 0.17. In addition, patients with a good outcome had a median midline shift of 10mm (IQR 6-12.5), while patients with a poor outcome had a median midline shift of 14mm (IQR 10-20); p = 0.07. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis for elderly patients with large aSDH remains poor, but a subset of patients can benefit from surgical intervention.

Rapid Gastric emptying in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the rate of gastric emptying in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and to evaluate rapid gastric emptying as a possible predisposing factor for hypertension. Rapid gastric emptying of carbohydrates, known to elevate postprandial serum glucose, has been reported to occur in many insulin-resistant states, including hypertension. SHR exhibit insulin resistance similar to human hypertensive patients. No prior studies have assessed gastric emptying of an oral glucose solution in SHR as compared with control Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). METHODS: Using scintigraphic imaging, gastric emptying of a physiologic, orally consumed glucose solution was assessed in 12 SHR and 12 control WKY at 5 weeks of age, prior to the development of hypertension, and at 12 weeks of age after hypertension was fully established. RESULTS: At 5 weeks, the gastric half-emptying time (GHET) was 67.8 ±â€Š9.8 min for the SHR vs. 109.3 ±â€Š18 ( P  = 0.042) minutes for the WKY controls. At 12 weeks, the GHET was 37.29 ±â€Š10.3 min for the SHR vs. 138.53 ±â€Š37.6 ( P  = 0.016) min for the WKY controls. CONCLUSION: Gastric emptying was significantly more rapid in the SHR before and after the development of hypertension. Even though SHR are known to have increased sympathetic activity associated with their development of hypertension, this increased sympathetic activity does not inhibit gastric emptying. SHR are a promising animal model for investigating therapeutic agents for treating hypertension aimed at slowing the rate of gastric emptying.

Entinostat as a combinatorial therapeutic for rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common childhood soft tissue sarcoma. For the alveolar subtype (ARMS), the presence of the PAX3::FOXO1 fusion gene and/or metastases are strong predictors of poor outcome. Metastatic PAX3::FOXO1+ ARMS often responds to chemotherapies initially, only to subsequently relapse and become resistant with most patients failing to survive beyond 8 years post-diagnosis. No curative intent phase II or phase III clinical trial has been available for patients in the past 10 years (ARST0921). Thus, metastatic ARMS represents a significantly unmet clinical need. Chemotherapy resistance in ARMS has previously been attributed to PAX3::FOXO1-mediated cell cycle checkpoint adaptation, which is mediated by an HDAC3-SMARCA4-miR-27a-PAX3::FOXO1 circuit that can be disrupted by HDAC3 inhibition. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of combining the epigenetic regulator entinostat, a Class I Histone Deacetylase (HDAC1-3) inhibitor, with RMS-specific chemotherapies in patient derived xenograft (PDX) models of RMS. We identified single agent, additive or synergistic relationships between relapse-specific chemotherapies and clinically relevant drug exposures of entinostat in three PAX3::FOXO1+ ARMS mouse models. This preclinical data provides further rationale for clinical investigation of entinostat, already known to be well tolerated in a pediatric phase I clinical trial (ADVL1513).

Integrative multi-omics characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma in hispanic patients.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and mortality rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among Hispanic individuals in the United States are much higher than in non-Hispanic white people. We conducted multi-omics analyses to elucidate molecular alterations in HCC among Hispanic patients. METHODS: Paired tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples were collected from 31 Hispanic HCCs in South Texas (STX-Hispanic) for genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling. Serum lipids were profiled in 40 Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with or without clinically diagnosed HCC. RESULTS: Exome sequencing revealed high mutation frequencies of AXIN2 and CTNNB1 in STX Hispanic HCCs, suggesting a predominant activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. TERT promoter mutations were also significantly more frequent in the Hispanic cohort (Fisher's exact test, p < .05). Cell cycles and liver function were positively and negatively enriched, respectively, with gene set enrichment analysis. Gene sets representing specific liver metabolic pathways were associated with dysregulation of corresponding metabolites. Negative enrichment of liver adipogenesis and lipid metabolism corroborated with a significant reduction in most lipids in serum samples of HCC patients (paired t-test, p < .0001). Two HCC subtypes from our Hispanic cohort were identified and validated with the TCGA liver cancer cohort. Patients with better overall survival showed higher activity of immune and angiogenesis signatures, and lower activity of liver function-related gene signatures. They also had higher levels of immune checkpoint and immune exhaustion markers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed specific molecular features of Hispanic HCC and potential biomarkers for therapeutic management. It provides a unique resource for studying Hispanic HCC.

Targeting S6K/NFκB/SQSTM1/Polθ signaling to suppress radiation resistance in prostate cancer.

In this study we have identified POLθ-S6K-p62 as a novel druggable regulator of radiation response in prostate cancer. Despite significant advances in delivery, radiotherapy continues to negatively affect treatment outcomes and quality of life due to resistance and late toxic effects to the surrounding normal tissues such as bladder and rectum. It is essential to develop new and effective strategies to achieve better control of tumor. We found that ribosomal protein S6K (RPS6KB1) is elevated in human prostate tumors, and contributes to resistance to radiation. As a downstream effector of mTOR signaling, S6K is known to be involved in growth regulation. However, the impact of S6K signaling on radiation response has not been fully explored. Here we show that loss of S6K led to formation of smaller tumors with less metastatic ability in mice. Mechanistically we found that S6K depletion reduced NFκB and SQSTM1 (p62) reporter activity and DNA polymerase θ (POLθ) that is involved in alternate end-joining repair. We further show that the natural compound berberine interacts with S6K in a in a hitherto unreported novel mode and that pharmacological inhibition of S6K with berberine reduces Polθ and downregulates p62 transcriptional activity via NFκB. Loss of S6K or pre-treatment with berberine improved response to radiation in prostate cancer cells and prevented radiation-mediated resurgence of PSA in animals implanted with prostate cancer cells. Notably, silencing POLQ in S6K overexpressing cells enhanced response to radiation suggesting S6K sensitizes prostate cancer cells to radiation via POLQ. Additionally, inhibition of autophagy with CQ potentiated growth inhibition induced by berberine plus radiation. These observations suggest that pharmacological inhibition of S6K with berberine not only downregulates NFκB/p62 signaling to disrupt autophagic flux but also decreases Polθ. Therefore, combination treatment with radiation and berberine inhibits autophagy and alternate end-joining DNA repair, two processes associated with radioresistance leading to increased radiation sensitivity.

Integrative multi-omics characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma in Hispanic patients.

Background: The incidence and mortality rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among Hispanics in the United States are much higher than those of non-Hispanic whites. We conducted comprehensive multi-omics analyses to understand molecular alterations in HCC among Hispanic patients. Methods: Paired tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples were collected from 31 Hispanic HCC in South Texas (STX-Hispanic) for genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling. Additionally, serum lipids were profiled in 40 Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with or without clinically diagnosed HCC. Results: Exome sequencing revealed high mutation frequencies of AXIN2 and CTNNB1 in STX Hispanic HCCs, suggesting a predominant activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. The TERT promoter mutation frequency was also remarkably high in the Hispanic cohort. Cell cycles and liver functions were identified as positively- and negatively-enriched, respectively, with gene set enrichment analysis. Gene sets representing specific liver metabolic pathways were associated with dysregulation of corresponding metabolites. Negative enrichment of liver adipogenesis and lipid metabolism corroborated with a significant reduction in most lipids in the serum samples of HCC patients. Two HCC subtypes from our Hispanic cohort were identified and validated with the TCGA liver cancer cohort. The subtype with better overall survival showed higher activity of immune and angiogenesis signatures, and lower activity of liver function-related gene signatures. It also had higher levels of immune checkpoint and immune exhaustion markers. Conclusions: Our study revealed some specific molecular features of Hispanic HCC and potential biomarkers for therapeutic management of HCC and provides a unique resource for studying Hispanic HCC.

Elevated serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in fibromyalgia syndrome patients correlate with body mass index, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

The levels of several inflammatory cytokines are abnormal in many patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and may play a role in its pathogenesis. The inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with the disease activity in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, but its role in FMS is unknown. We undertook this study to determine whether high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) is elevated in FMS and whether its levels relate to key biologic or clinical measures. One hundred and five patients with FMS (1990 ACR criteria) and 61 healthy normal controls (HNC) at a ratio of 2:1 were recruited. The serum concentrations of hsCRP, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The hsCRP levels were marginally higher in FMS than in HNC (p = 0.06) and its abnormality rate (>1.5 SD above the HNC mean) was significantly higher in FMS (25 %) compared with HNC (6.8 %) (p = 0.03). Serum IL-8 levels, IL-6 levels, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in FMS did not differ from those in HNC. Body mass index (BMI), ESR, IL-8, and IL-6 levels correlated with hsCRP levels in FMS. No associations were found between hsCRP and age, gender, ethnicity, or other clinical measures. Serum CRP levels were higher in FMS and significantly correlated with BMI, ESR, IL-8, and IL-6 levels, suggesting that inflammation may contribute to the symptoms in some FMS patients, particularly those who are obese. Weight loss and therapies directed against inflammation may be useful in the management of FMS patients with elevated hsCRP.