Organotypic 3D Cell-Architecture Impacts the Expression Pattern of miRNAs-mRNAs Network in Breast Cancer SKBR3 Cells.

BACKGROUND: Currently, most of the research on breast cancer has been carried out in conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures due to its practical benefits, however, the three-dimensional (3D) cell culture is becoming the model of choice in cancer research because it allows cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, mimicking the native microenvironment of tumors in vivo. METHODS: In this work, we evaluated the effect of 3D cell organization on the expression pattern of miRNAs (by Small-RNAseq) and mRNAs (by microarrays) in the breast cancer SKBR3 cell line and analyzed the biological processes and signaling pathways regulated by the differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DE-mRNAs) and miRNAs (DE-microRNAs) found in the organoids. RESULTS: We obtained well-defined cell-aggregated organoids with a grape cluster-like morphology with a size up to 9.2 × 105 µm3. The transcriptomic assays showed that cell growth in organoids significantly affected (all p < 0.01) the gene expression patterns of both miRNAs, and mRNAs, finding 20 upregulated and 19 downregulated DE-microRNAs, as well as 49 upregulated and 123 downregulated DE-mRNAs. In silico analysis showed that a subset of 11 upregulated DE-microRNAs target 70 downregulated DE-mRNAs. These genes are involved in 150 gene ontology (GO) biological processes such as regulation of cell morphogenesis, regulation of cell shape, regulation of canonical Wnt signaling pathway, morphogenesis of epithelium, regulation of cytoskeleton organization, as well as in the MAPK and AGE-RAGE signaling KEGG-pathways. Interestingly, hsa-mir-122-5p (Fold Change (FC) = 15.4), hsa-mir-369-3p (FC = 11.4), and hsa-mir-10b-5p (FC = 20.1) regulated up to 81% of the 70 downregulated DE-mRNAs. CONCLUSION: The organotypic 3D cell-organization architecture of breast cancer SKBR3 cells impacts the expression pattern of the miRNAs-mRNAs network mainly through overexpression of hsa-mir-122-5p, hsa-mir-369-3p, and hsa-mir-10b-5p. All these findings suggest that the interaction between cell-cell and cell-ECM as well as the change in the culture architecture impacts gene expression, and, therefore, support the pertinence of migrating breast cancer research from conventional cultures to 3D models.

SFRP1 induces a stem cell phenotype in prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer (PCa) ranks second in incidence and sixth in deaths globally. The treatment of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) continues to be a significant clinical problem. Emerging evidence suggests that prostate cancer progression toward castration resistance is associated with paracrine signals from the stroma. SFRP1 is one of the extracellular proteins that modulate the WNT pathway, and it has been identified as a mediator of stromal epithelium communication. The WNT pathway is involved in processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, cell anchoring, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation as well as the regulation of stem cell populations in the prostatic epithelium. In the present study, we explored the role of exogenous SFRP1 on the stem cell phenotype in prostate cancer. The results reveal that cancer stem cell markers are significantly increased by exogenous SFRP1 treatments, as well as the downstream target genes of the Wnt/-catenin pathway. The pluripotent transcription factors SOX2, NANOG, and OCT4 were also up-regulated. Furthermore, SFRP1 promoted prostate cancer stem cell (PCSC) properties in vitro, including tumorsphere formation, migration, bicalutamide resistance, and decreased apoptosis. Taken together, our results indicate that SFRP1 participates in the paracrine signaling of epithelial cells, influencing them and positively regulating the stem cell phenotype through deregulation of the WNT/ß-catenin pathway, which could contribute to disease progression and therapeutic failure. This research increases our molecular understanding of how CRPC progresses, which could help us find new ways to diagnose and treat the disease.

Three-Dimensional 3D Culture Models in Gynecological and Breast Cancer Research.

Traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cell cultures have long been the gold standard for cancer biology research. However, their ability to accurately reflect the molecular mechanisms of tumors occurring in vivo is limited. Recent development of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models facilitate the possibility to better recapitulate several of the biological and molecular characteristics of tumors in vivo, such as cancer cells heterogeneity, cell-extracellular matrix interactions, development of a hypoxic microenvironment, signaling pathway activities depending on contacts with extracellular matrix, differential growth kinetics, more accurate drugs response, and specific gene expression and epigenetic patterns. In this review, we discuss the utilization of different types of 3D culture models including spheroids, organotypic models and patient-derived organoids in gynecologic cancers research, as well as its potential applications in oncological research mainly for screening drugs with major physiological and clinical relevance. Moreover, microRNAs regulation of cancer hallmarks in 3D cell cultures from different types of cancers is discussed.

Acantholytic squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix: A case series.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is considered the most common histologic variant of cervical cancer, with well-established treatment protocols and prognosis. An infrequent histologic variant of cervical squamous cell carcinoma is the acantholytic variant (ASCC), which is characterized by discohesive cells that result in a pseudoglandular and/or angiomatoid pattern of growth. This variant of squamous cell carcinoma has been regarded as having a poor prognosis at certain anatomic sites such as the head and neck and vulva. In the uterine cervix, the importance of this variant has not been yet established. A ten-year retrospective review of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix was performed to identify this variant and correlate it with clinical characteristics to better define its prognostic implications. During the study period 19 cases were identified containing from 10 to 80% acantholytic component. Mean age at diagnosis was 49 years. Clinical stages were 1A2 (1 case), Ib1 (16), and IIA1 (2). Median follow-up was 92 months. When compared with controls, ASCC were larger in size (1.4 vs 3.5 cm), had deeper involvement of the cervical stroma (21 vs 47%), had more lymph node metastasis (8 vs 26%), more frequent recurrences (4 vs 15%) and a shorter disease-free survival; however, no statistical differences were identified in overall survival. ASCC is an infrequent variant of cervical cancer which seems to have an impact on disease-free survival but no in overall survival.

Hormone-Related Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases: A Complex Interplay to be Discovered.

Neoplasic transformation is a continuous process that occurs in the body. Even before clinical signs, the immune system is capable of recognizing these aberrant cells and reacting to suppress them. However, transformed cells acquire the ability to evade innate and adaptive immune defenses through the secretion of molecules that inhibit immune effector functions, resulting in tumor progression. Hormones have the ability to modulate the immune system and are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Hormones can control both the innate and adaptive immune systems in men and women. For example androgens reduce immunity through modulating the production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. Women are more prone than men to suffer from autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and others. This is linked to female hormones modulating the immune system. Patients with autoimmune diseases consistently have an increased risk of cancer, either as a result of underlying immune system dysregulation or as a side effect of pharmaceutical treatments. Epidemiological data on cancer incidence emphasize the link between the immune system and cancer. We outline and illustrate the occurrence of hormone-related cancer and its relationship to the immune system or autoimmune diseases in this review. It is obvious that some observations are contentious and require explanation of molecular mechanisms and validation. As a result, future research should clarify the molecular pathways involved, including any causal relationships, in order to eventually allocate information that will aid in the treatment of hormone-sensitive cancer and autoimmune illness.

High prevalence of human papillomavirus and European variants of HPV 16 infecting concomitantly to cervix and oral cavity in HIV positive women.

OBJECTIVE: Identify the prevalence of HPV infections in the uterine cervix and oral cavity and HPV16 variants in HIV+ women. METHODS: A total of 174 HIV+ women attended an HIV+ specialized clinic in Mexico City. Cells were obtained from the oral cavity and cervix to extract DNA. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the HPV sequence with generic primers. We detected specific HPV types using the INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra II Kit (INNOGENETICS). The identification of variants was studied by sequencing the E6 gene with a Big Dye Terminator Kit and an Applied Biosystems 3500/3500xL genetic analyzer. RESULTS: HPV infection was very high in the uterine cervix (168/174, 96.6%) and oral cavity (161/174, 92.5%). The prevalence of HPV concurrent infections in the cervix and oral cavity was 155/174 (89.1%). We found hrHPVs to be more prevalent than low-risk HPVs (lrHPVs) in the oral cavity (90.2% versus 45.4%) and that infections simultaneously affected the cervix (94.3% versus 36.2%) and oral cavity (85.1% versus 20.1%). Surprisingly, only European variants of HPV type 16 were found in the uterine cervix of women and the oral cavity of all tested samples (52 oral cavity samples and 52 uterine cervix samples). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of HPV, multiple infections and presence of the EP350G intravariant in both anatomical regions are strongly related to the persistence of the virus, which is fundamental for the development of cancer. Therefore, it is very important to control and monitor this high-risk population as well as implement programs for the early detection of HPV and vaccination.

Valproic acid as epigenetic cancer drug: preclinical, clinical and transcriptional effects on solid tumors.

Among many anticancer drugs collectively named "targeted or molecular therapies" epigenetic drugs are clearly promising. Differently from other agents targeting a single gene product, epigenetic drugs have chromatin as their target through inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) therefore, yet unspecific, they may act upon most or all tumor types, as deregulation of the methylation and deacetylation machinery are a common hallmark of neoplasia. In the last years, valproic acid (VPA) as emerged as a promising drug for cancer treatment. VPA has shown potent antitumor effects in a variety of in vitro and in vivo systems, and encouraging results in early clinical trials either alone or in combination with demethylating and/or cytotoxic agents. In addition, whole genome expression by microarray analysis from the primary tumors of patients treated with VPA show significant up-regulation of hundred of genes belonging to multiple pathways including ribosomal proteins, oxidative phosphorylation, MAPK signaling; focal adhesion, cell cycle, antigen processing and presentation, proteasome, apoptosis, PI3K, Wnt signaling, calcium signaling, TGF-beta signaling, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis among others. Despite in general, industry is not particularly interested in funding the clinical development of VPA, -at least in comparison to novel HDAC inhibitors-, existing preclinical and preliminary clinical data strongly suggest that VPA could be a drug that eventually will be used in combination therapies, either with classical cytotoxics, other molecular-targeted drugs or radiation in a number of solid tumors.

[Global expression analysis in uterine cervical cancer: metabolic pathways and altered genes]. / Análisis de expresión global del cáncer cérvico uterino: rutas metabólicas y genes alterados.

High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered to be the most important etiological factor of Cervical Uterine Cancer. In order to determine the global expression pattern and to identify possible molecular markers of cervical cancer, cDNA arrays with probe sets complementary to 8,000 human genes were used to examine the expression profiles among 5 cell lines derived from human cervical cancer, three HPV16(+) tumor samples and three normal cervical tissues HPV(-). The levels of expression of different cellular processes were identified. Hierarchical clustering was performed and the gene expression using RT-PCR was confirmed. Two genes were found to be consistently overexpressed in invasive cervical cancer biopsies; one of them, IL-6 was previously reported to be overexpressed in cervical cancer and one novel gene, MMP10, previously not known to be related to cervical cancer. Hierarchical clustering of the expression data revealed that samples with common HPV type infection grouped together, maybe this could mean that differences between HPV types could be indirectly determined by expression profiles.

Análisis de expresión global del cáncer cérvico uterino: rutas metabólicas y genes alterados / Global expression analysis in uterine cervical cancer: Metabolic pathways and altered genes

High risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered to be the most important etiological factor of Cervical Uterine Cancer. In order to determine the global expression pattern and to identify possible molecular markers of cervical cancer, cDNA arrays with probe sets complementary to 8,000 human genes were used to examine the expression profiles among 5 cell lines derived from human cervical cancer, three HPV16(+) tumor samples and three normal cervical tissues HPV(-). The levels of expression of different cellular processes were identified. Hierarchical clustering was performed and the gene expression using RT-PCR was confirmed. Two genes were found to be consistently overexpressed in invasive cervical cancer biopsies; one of them, IL-6 was previously reported to be overexpressed in cervical cancer and one novel gene, MMP10, previously not known to be related to cervical cancer. Hierarchical clustering of the expression data revealed that samples with common HPV type infection grouped together, maybe this could mean that differences between HPV types could be indirectly determined by expression profiles.

La infección por virus de papiloma de alto riesgo (VPH) es considerada como el factor etiológico más importante del cáncer cérvico uterino (CaCU). Con el fin de determinar el patrón de expresión global e identificar algunos posibles genes marcadores del CaCU, se utilizaron microhileras de DNA que contenían 8,000 secuencias que codificaban para transcritos diferentes, para estudiar los perfiles de expresión de cinco líneas celulares derivadas de CaCU, tres muestras tumorales conteniendo VPH 16 y tres muestras normales negativas para la presencia de VPH. Se identificaron los niveles de expresión de genes relacionados con diferentes rutas metabólicas. Se llevó a cabo el análisis de agrupamiento jerárquico y posteriormente se confirmó la sobrexpresión de dos genes mediante RT-PCR. Estos dos genes se encontraron sobrexpresados en biopsias tumorales cervicales. Uno de ellos, el gen de IL6, que ha sido previamente reportado en relación con CaCU, así como el gen de la matriz-metaloproteasa 10 (MMP10) por primera vez relacionado con esta neoplasia. El análisis de agrupamiento jerárquico, además, reveló que las muestras que contienen el mismo tipo viral están asociadas, sugiriendo posibles diferencias en expresión entre tipos virales.