PTPN13 Participates in the Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Platinum Sensitivity in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma Cells.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancers in Western countries. High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma (HGSOC) accounts for 60-70% of EOC and is the most aggressive subtype. Reduced PTPN13 expression levels have been previously correlated with worse prognosis in HGSOC. However, PTPN13's exact role and mechanism of action in these tumors remained to be investigated. To elucidate PTPN13's role in HGSOC aggressiveness, we used isogenic PTPN13-overexpressing clones of the OVCAR-8 cell line, which poorly expresses PTPN13, and also PTPN13 CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout/knockdown clones of the KURAMOCHI cell line, which strongly expresses PTPN13. We investigated their migratory and invasive capacity using a wound healing assay, their mesenchymal-epithelial transition (EMT) status using microscopy and RT-qPCR, and their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs used for HGSOC. We found that (i) PTPN13 knockout/knockdown increased migration and invasion in KURAMOCHI cells that also displayed a more mesenchymal phenotype and increased expression of the SLUG, SNAIL, ZEB-1, and ZEB-2 EMT master genes; and (ii) PTPN13 expression increased the platinum sensitivity of HGSOC cells. These results suggest that PTPN13 might be a predictive marker of response to platinum salts in HGSOC.

Prospective evaluation of sexual health in breast cancer women during the first year of adjuvant hormonal treatment using a cancer patient's dedicated questionnaire: A glaring gap of communication between health professionals and patients.

PURPOSE: Sexual quality of life (QoL) is affected during and after breast cancer (BC) treatment and is not specifically evaluated with the general health-related quality-of-life questionnaires EORTC QLQ-C30 or QLQ-BR23. A specific questionnaire, the EORTC SHQ-C22, including physical, psychological, and social aspects of sexuality, was recently developed to address this issue in cancer patients. METHODS: A prospective bicentric study was conducted to evaluate the sexual QoL of women with BC during the first year of adjuvant hormonal treatment. RESULTS: A total of 106 women completed the 3 questionnaires at baseline and 92 of them, at 12 months. At baseline, we showed low sexual satisfaction and importance given to sexual activity and a very low communication with healthcare professionals about this issue. Twelve months later, the importance given to sexuality had increased. While the communication with professionals had improved, it remained at a very low level. We were unable to identify specific clinical factors (chemotherapy, menopausal status, type of surgery or radiotherapy) that would negatively affect the global sexual well-being in BC patients. CONCLUSION: The analysis of sexual QoL of BC patients during the first year of hormonal treatment with a recently developed, cancer-dedicated, standardized tool pointed out the need for deeper communication between professionals and patients regarding sexual issues to fill the current gap in care of cancer patients and help patients with adequate intervention and support.

Dual Role of the PTPN13 Tyrosine Phosphatase in Cancer.

In this review article, we present the current knowledge on PTPN13, a class I non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase identified in 1994. We focus particularly on its role in cancer, where PTPN13 acts as an oncogenic protein and also a tumor suppressor. To try to understand these apparent contradictory functions, we discuss PTPN13 implication in the FAS and oncogenic tyrosine kinase signaling pathways and in the associated biological activities, as well as its post-transcriptional and epigenetic regulation. Then, we describe PTPN13 clinical significance as a prognostic marker in different cancer types and its impact on anti-cancer treatment sensitivity. Finally, we present future research axes following recent findings on its role in cell junction regulation that implicate PTPN13 in cell death and cell migration, two major hallmarks of tumor formation and progression.