Emerging power of proteomics for delineation of intrinsic tumor subtypes and resistance mechanisms to anti-cancer therapies

Introduction: Despite extreme genetic heterogeneity, tumors often show similar alterations in the expression, stability, and activation of proteins important in oncogenic signaling pathways. Thus, classifying tumor samples according to shared proteomic features may help facilitate the identification of cancer subtypes predictive of therapeutic responses and prognostic for patient outcomes. Meanwhile, understanding mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired resistance to anti-cancer therapies at the protein level may prove crucial to devising reversal strategies.

Areas covered: Herein, we review recent advances in quantitative proteomic technology and their applications in studies to identify intrinsic tumor subtypes of various tumors, to illuminate mechanistic aspects of pharmacological and oncogenic adaptations, and to highlight interaction targets for anti-cancer compounds and cancer-addicted proteins.

Expert commentary: Quantitative proteomic technologies are being successfully employed to classify tumor samples into distinct intrinsic subtypes, to improve existing DNA/RNA based classification methods, and to evaluate the activation status of key signaling pathways.     

Mapping and analyzing the human liver proteome: progress and potential

Introduction: The liver is an important organ in humans. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Progress in the Human Liver Proteome Project (HLPP) has improved understanding of the liver and the liver cancer proteome.

Areas covered: Here, we summarize the recent progress in liver proteome modification profiles, proteomic studies in liver cancer, proteomic study in the search for novel liver cancer biomarkers and drug targets, and progress of the Chromosome Centric Human Proteome Project (CHPP) in the past five years in the Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS) of Fudan University.

Expert commentary: Recent advances and findings discussed here provide great promise of improving the outcome of patients with liver cancer.     

Dual‐function fluorescent probe for cancer imaging and therapy

To date, several fluorescent probes modified by a single targeting agent have been explored. However, studies on the preparation of dual‐function quantum dot (QD) fluorescent probes with dual‐targeting action and a therapeutic effect are rare. Here, a dual‐targeting CdTe/CdS QD fluorescent probe with a bovine serum albumin–glycyrrhetinic acid conjugate and arginine‐glycine‐aspartic acid was successfully prepared that could induce the apoptosis of liver cancer cells and showed enhanced targeting in in vitro cell imaging. Therefore, the as‐prepared fluorescent probe in this work is an efficient diagnostic tool for the simultaneous detection of liver cancer and breast cancer cells. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Limits of application of initiated chemiluminescence in monitoring of oncological process of mucous membrane of mouth and larynx

Investigation into the limits of application of chemiluminescence (CL) methods in oncology still attracts the attention of researchers. In the present work we analyze the screening and monitoring of oncological processes (OP) in the mucous membrane of the mouth and larynx by initiated CL (ICL). Chemiluminescence has already been used by stomatologists to define the start of OP, but methods that reflect the metabolic changes in organism under cancer diagnostics still have not found their place. This work presents results of ICL on blood serum (BS) of patients with oncological diseases at different stages of medical treatment compared with those of healthy people. We found an essential metabolic difference only in types of OP that are characterized by two maxima on chemiluminograms. These OP represent only 12.81% of groups of patients with oncological diseases. The possibility to apply ICL methods to monitor operation quality and control medical treatment at different stages when the two ICL maxima are present is established. At present, the chemiluminograms with the two maxima are mostly informative, but this does not exclude the quantitative analysis of other ICL kinetic methods and is encouraging for their investigation. Any OP introduces changes in organism function and these should be reflected in the ICL. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

槐定碱联合顺铂对卵巢癌中FHIT，Survivin 及PTEN表达的影响

目的:探讨槐定碱联合顺铂对卵巢癌中脆性组氨酸三联(FHIT)、凋亡抑制基因survivin、抑癌基因PTEN的表达影响研究。方法:收集我院卵巢癌患者60例,随机分为实验组和对照组,每组30例,所有患者在给予纠正电解质与酸碱平衡等常规治疗后,对照组患者给予顺铂注射液进行治疗,实验组患者在对照组的基础上给予槐定碱注射液进行治疗。观察并比较治疗前后两组患者卵巢癌组织中FHIT,survivin及PTEN表达水平的变化情况以及不良反应的发生率。结果:与治疗前相比,治疗后两组患者FHIT及PTEN表达水平均升高,survivin表达水平均降低(P0.05),治疗结束后与对照组相比,实验组患者FHIT及PTEN表达水平较高(P0.05);与对照组相比,实验组患者survivin表达水平较低(P0.05);且两组患者不良反应率相当(P0.05)。结论:槐定碱联合顺铂可以有效降低卵巢癌的恶性程度,减慢肿瘤细胞的增殖发展,延缓病情,其机制可能与升高抑癌基因FHIT和PTEN的表达水平,以及降低凋亡抑制基因survivin的表达有关。     

microRNA-21 表达水平对新疆地区食管癌患者早期诊断及预后评估的临床价值

目的:探讨microRNA-21表达水平对新疆地区食管癌早期诊断及预后评估的临床价值。方法:收集我院收治的100例食管癌患者,其中哈萨克族患者50例,汉族患者50例,采用RT-PCR以及RT-qPCR的方法对患者血清microRNA-21表达水平进行检测并比较。结果:食管癌患者癌组织中microRNA-21表达水平均高于癌旁组织,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);有淋巴结转移、ⅡB+Ⅲ期、低分化癌组织中的miRNA-21相对表达量高于无淋巴结转移、I+ⅡA期以及高分化癌组织患者,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);miRNA-21在不同民族、性别、年龄分组中表达无明显差异(P0.05)。结论:microRNA-21表达水平对新疆地区食管癌患者癌组织中表达水平较高,在有淋巴转移、ⅡB+Ⅲ期以及低分化癌组织中表达水平较高,民族、性别以及年龄对microRNA-21水平的影响较小,因此microRNA-21检测对食管癌的早期诊断及预后判断具有指导意义。     

HPV+/-宫颈癌患者临床特点与预后的对比分析

目的:探讨HPV阴性与HPV阳性宫颈癌的临床特点及其和预后的关系。方法:选取住院手术的HPV呈阴性与阳性的宫颈癌患者各86例,且两组患者在年龄、FIGO临床分期相近。分析两组患者的年龄、肿瘤临床分期、病理分型、原发肿瘤大小、分化程度、基层浸润深度、淋巴结转移、治疗方案情况及其5年RFS和总生存时间。结果:两组间宫颈癌患者肿瘤分化程度、肌层浸润深度、淋巴结转移间差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。HPV阳性组和HPV阴性组随访时间分别为63(13~87)个月、61(9~90)个月,5年总生存率分别为70.4%和61.3%,平均总生存时间分别为(73.15±2.74)月和(62.72±3.03)月,差异有统计学意义(p0.05)。HPV阴性组和HPV阳性组5年RFS分别为52.3%和66.4%,平均RFS为(51.57±4.62)月和(58.83±3.46)月,差异有统计学意义(p0.05)。结论:HPV阴性宫颈癌瘤体倾向于低分化,易发生局部侵犯和淋巴结转移,其临床预后较差。     

应用全外显子测序和显微切割技术识别1 例肺癌患者高频突变基因的异质性探索

目的:通过对一例肺鳞癌患者全外显子测序来识别这例肺癌的可能致病基因,并通过显微切割初步探索这例肺癌肿瘤细胞的起源与演化。方法:利用全外显子测序技术对肺癌肿瘤组织和相应癌旁组织测序;用COSMIC肿瘤数据库比较分析统计出肺癌可能致病基因;用激光显微切割技术提取五个不同部位肿瘤细胞;巢式PCR扩增,一代测序验证基因分型。结果:发现了这例肺癌病人的7个高频突变基因:LPHN2、TP53、MYH2、TGM2、C10orf137、MS4A3和EP300;这些基因在10×镜下和20×镜下经显微切割的肺癌组织的5个不同部位上的基因分型不同。结论:我们通过全外显子测序发现了这例肺癌的7个可能致病基因,并初步探索了这例肺癌肿瘤细胞是多克隆起源的。     

卡培他滨联合参芪扶正注射液对食管癌术后VEGF表达及生活质量的影响

目的:探讨卡培他滨联合参芪扶正注射液对食管癌术后患者VEGF表达及不良反应发生率和生活质量的影响。方法:选取我院收治的食管癌术后患者90例,根据治疗方案不同分为对照组及实验组,对照组以常规化疗,实验组化疗联合参芪扶正注射液治疗。比较各组患者治疗前后生活质量及血管内皮生长因子VEGF表达水平,治疗后副反应发生率、肝肾功损害变化情况。结果:与治疗前比较,治疗后两组躯体、社会及QOL评分、疲乏评分及睡眠水平均降低(P0.05),QOL评分、尿素氮及肌酐均升高(P0.05),治疗后与对照组比较,实验组躯体、社会、睡眠及疲乏评分、生活质量、血象较高(P0.05),实验组消化道反应、脱发时间较短,肌酐及尿素氮水平及VEGF水平较低(P0.05)。结论:卡培他滨联合参芪扶正注射液可减轻化疗对患者体质、睡眠、社会功能、生活质量等水平的影响,保护肝肾功能,减轻脱发、恶心呕吐等副反应症状,降低VEGF水平,临床疗效优于传统方案,可作为临床有效治疗方案。