Circulating microRNAs modulating glycolysis as non-invasive prognostic biomarkers of HNSCC.

BACKGROUND: The identification of prognostic non-invasive biomarkers is a priority for cancer patients' care. Circulating microRNA (miRNAs) have been described in numerous human malignancies as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic cancer biomarkers. The aim of our study was to analyze the expression profile of a set of miRNAs, involved in the modulation of the glycolytic pathway, as prognostic factors in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). METHODS: Serum samples of 54 patients with untreated HNSCC were obtained at the time of diagnosis. The prognostic value of circulating miR-26b, miR-124, miR-155 and miR-375 was evaluated towards disease-free survival. RESULTS: We found that there were optimal miRNAs cut-off values for lower risk of recurrence in HNSCC patients. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that higher levels of miR-26b and lower levels of miR-155 were associated with better disease-free survival rates. In the multivariate analysis, patients with serum miR-26b > 0.062 and miR-155 < 0.159 presented more than 2.9 times lower risk of poor outcome. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that two miRNAs that modulate the glycolytic pathway, miR-26b and miR-155, are independently associated with the risk of recurrence in patients with HNSCC. The overall results in this study supports the evidence that the glucose homeostasis may be a target to improve the outcomes for patients with HNSCC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Individual retrospective cohort study (2b).

Survivin/BIRC5 as a novel molecular effector at the crossroads of glucose metabolism and radioresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic reprogramming and abnormal glucose metabolism are hallmarks of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Certain oncogenes can promote cancer-related metabolic changes, but understanding their crosstalk in HNSCC biology and treatment is essential for identifying predictive biomarkers and developing target therapies. METHODS: We assessed the value of survivin/BIRC5 as a radioresistance factor potentially modulated by glucose for predicting therapeutic sensitivity and prognosis of HNSCC in a cohort of 32 patients. Additionally, we conducted in vitro experiments to explore the role of survivin/BIRC5 in glucose metabolism concerning radiation response. RESULTS: Tumoral BIRC5 expression is associated with serum glucose and predicts locoregional disease-free survival and lower BIRC5 mRNA levels are associated with better outcomes. Upregulation of BIRC5 by radiation depends on glucose levels and provokes a pro-tumoral and radioresistant phenotype in surviving cells. CONCLUSIONS: Survivin/BIRC5 might be independently associated with the risk of recurrence in patients with HNSCC.

Effects of stem cells from inducible brown adipose tissue on diet-induced obesity in mice.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are a promising option for the treatment of obesity and its metabolic co-morbidities. Despite the recent identification of brown adipose tissue (BAT) as a potential target in the management of obesity, the use of ASCs isolated from BAT as a therapy for patients with obesity has not yet been explored. Metabolic activation of BAT has been shown to have not only thermogenic effects, but it also triggers the secretion of factors that confer protection against obesity. Herein, we isolated and characterized ASCs from the visceral adipose tissue surrounding a pheochromocytoma (IB-hASCs), a model of inducible BAT in humans. We then compared the anti-obesity properties of IB-hASCs and human ASCs isolated from visceral white adipose tissue (W-hASCs) in a murine model of diet-induced obesity. We found that both ASC therapies mitigated the metabolic abnormalities of obesity to a similar extent, including reducing weight gain and improving glucose tolerance. However, infusion of IB-hASCs was superior to W-hASCs in suppressing lipogenic and inflammatory markers, as well as preserving insulin secretion. Our findings provide evidence for the metabolic benefits of visceral ASC infusion and support further studies on IB-hASCs as a therapeutic option for obesity-related comorbidities.

Succinate Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Potential as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by high rates of mortality and treatment-related morbidity, underscoring the urgent need for innovative and safe treatment strategies and diagnosis practices. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of cancer and can lead to the accumulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, such as succinate, which function as oncometabolites. In addition to its role in cancer development through epigenetic events, succinate is an extracellular signal transducer that modulates immune response, angiogenesis and cell invasion by activating its cognate receptor SUCNR1. Here, we explored the potential value of the circulating succinate and related genes in HNSCC diagnosis and prognosis. We determined the succinate levels in the serum of 66 pathologically confirmed, untreated patients with HNSCC and 20 healthy controls. We also surveyed the expression of the genes related to succinate metabolism and signaling in tumoral and nontumoral adjacent tissue and in normal mucosa from 50 patients. Finally, we performed immunohistochemical analysis of SUCNR1 in mucosal samples. The results showed that the circulating levels of succinate were higher in patients with HNSCC than in the healthy controls. Additionally, the expression of SUCNR1, HIF-1α, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) A, and SDHB was higher in the tumor tissue than in the matched normal mucosa. Consistent with this, immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in SUCNR1 protein expression in tumoral and nontumoral adjacent tissue. High SUCNR1 and SDHA expression levels were associated with poor locoregional control, and the locoregional recurrence-free survival rate was significantly lower in patients with high SUCNR1 and SDHA expression than in their peers with lower levels (77.1% [95% CI: 48.9-100.0] vs. 16.7% [95% CI: 0.0-44.4], p = 0.018). Thus, the circulating succinate levels are elevated in HNSCC and high SUCNR1/SDHA expression predicts poor locoregional disease-free survival, identifying this oncometabolite as a potentially valuable noninvasive biomarker for HNSCC diagnosis and prognosis.

Preoperative Circulating Succinate Levels as a Biomarker for Diabetes Remission After Bariatric Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential use of baseline circulating succinate to predict type 2 diabetes remission after bariatric surgery. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Forty-five obese patients with diabetes were randomly assigned to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), sleeve gastrectomy (SG), or laparoscopic greater curvature plication. Anthropometric parameters were evaluated, and a complete biochemical analysis including circulating serum succinate concentrations was performed at baseline and 1 year after surgery. The results were externally validated in a second cohort including 88 obese patients with diabetes assigned to RYGB or SG based on clinical criteria. RESULTS: Succinate baseline concentrations were an independent predictor of diabetes remission after bariatric surgery. Patients achieving remission after 1 year had lower levels of baseline succinate (47.8 [37.6-64.6] µmol/L vs. 64.1 [52.5-82.9] µmol/L; P = 0.018). Moreover, succinate concentrations were significantly decreased 1 year after surgery (58.9 [46.4-82.4] µmol/L vs. 46.0 [35.8-65.3] µmol/L, P = 0.005). In multivariate analysis, the best logistic regression model showed that baseline succinate (odds ratio [OR] 11.3, P = 0.031) and the type of surgery (OR 26.4, P = 0.010) were independently associated with remission. The C-statistic for this model was 0.899 (95% CI 0.809-0.989) in the derivation cohort, which significantly improved the prediction of remission compared with current available scores, and 0.729 (95% CI 0.612-0.846) in the validation cohort. Interestingly, patients had a different response to the type of surgery according to baseline succinate, with significant differences in remission rates. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating succinate is reduced after bariatric surgery. Baseline succinate levels have predictive value for diabetes remission independently of previously described presurgical factors and improve upon the current available scores to predict remission.