PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Spyro Mousses

Publications and source records attributed to Spyro Mousses.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

Identification of molecular markers for endometriosis in blood lymphocytes by using deoxyribonucleic acid microarrays.

OBJECTIVE: To identify molecular biomarkers for endometriosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes by using DNA microarrays. DESIGN: Case-control. SETTING: Multicenter academic research programs. PATIENT(S): Premenopausal women with or without endometriosis, determined by obstetrics and gynecology specialists during surgery. Microarray analysis included six endometriosis patients and five controls; 15 endometriosis patients and 15 controls were analyzed by using real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Patients with all disease stages were included. INTERVENTION(S): Peripheral blood samples were collected by venipuncture. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The expression levels of mRNAs in blood lymphocytes from endometriosis patients and controls were compared with those of a standard total RNA. Gene expression data were validated by real-time RT-PCR analysis. RESULT(S): A gene selection program identified genes that were differentially expressed in samples from endometriosis patients. To validate the gene expression data, the nine most discriminatory genes were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. Two of the nine genes identified, IL2RG and LOXL1, were shown to be significantly differentially expressed. CONCLUSION(S): This is the first report of genes that are differentially expressed in peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with endometriosis, which may provide important clues regarding the pathogenesis of this disease. Moreover, they could be considered potential targets for noninvasive diagnostic assays for endometriosis and need to be validated in a larger population.

Adult↗

Targeting loss-of-function mutations in tumor-suppressor genes as a strategy for development of cancer therapeutic agents.

Two types of genetic mutations, gain-of-function in oncogenes and loss-of-function in tumor-suppressor genes, are important molecular bases of tumorigenesis of human cancers. Target-based drug discovery is the main stream of contemporary cancer therapeutic development but largely focuses on gain-of-function mutations in oncogenes. Loss-of-function mutations in tumor-suppressor genes are often neglected as therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the feasibility of targeting loss-of-function mutations in tumor-suppressor genes for the identification of cancer-specific therapeutic agents.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

EphB2 expression across 138 human tumor types in a tissue microarray: high levels of expression in gastrointestinal cancers.

PURPOSE: To comprehensively evaluate ephrin receptor B2 (EphB2) expression in normal and neoplastic tissues. EphB2 is a tyrosine kinase recently implicated in the deregulation of cell-to-cell communication in many tumors. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: EphB2 protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays that included 76 different normal tissues, >4,000 samples from 138 different cancer types, and 1,476 samples of colon cancer with clinical follow-up data. RESULTS: We found most prominent EphB2 expression in the intestinal epithelium (colonic crypts) with cancer of the colorectum displaying the highest EphB2 positivity of all tumors. Positivity was found in 100% of 118 colon adenomas but in 33.3% of 45 colon carcinomas. EphB2 expression was also observed in 75 tumor categories, including serous carcinoma of the endometrium (34.8%), adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (33.3%), intestinal adenocarcinoma of the stomach (30.2%), and adenocarcinoma of the small intestine (70%). The occasional finding of strong EphB2 positivity in tumors without EphB2 positivity in the corresponding normal cells [adenocarcinoma of the lung (4%) and pancreas (2.2%)] suggests that deregulation of EphB2 signaling may involve up-regulation of the protein expression. In colon carcinoma, loss of EphB2 expression was associated with advanced stage (P < 0.0001) and was an indicator of poor overall survival (P = 0.0098). CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide an overview on the EphB2 protein expression in normal and neoplastic tissues. Deregulated EphB2 expression may play a role in several cancer types with loss of EphB2 expression serving as an indicator of the possible pathogenetic role of EphB2 signaling in the maintenance of tissue architecture of colon epithelium.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

NMD microarray analysis for rapid genome-wide screen of mutated genes in cancer.

Gene mutations play a critical role in cancer development and progression, and their identification offers possibilities for accurate diagnostics and therapeutic targeting. Finding genes undergoing mutations is challenging and slow, even in the post-genomic era. A new approach was recently developed by Noensie and Dietz to prioritize and focus the search, making use of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) inhibition and microarray analysis (NMD microarrays) in the identification of transcripts containing nonsense mutations. We combined NMD microarrays with array-based CGH (comparative genomic hybridization) in order to identify inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in cancer. Such a "mutatomics" screening of prostate cancer cell lines led to the identification of inactivating mutations in the EPHB2 gene. Up to 8% of metastatic uncultured prostate cancers also showed mutations of this gene whose loss of function may confer loss of tissue architecture. NMD microarray analysis could turn out to be a powerful research method to identify novel mutated genes in cancer cell lines, providing targets that could then be further investigated for their clinical relevance and therapeutic potential.

Animals↗

Nonsense-mediated decay microarray analysis identifies mutations of EPHB2 in human prostate cancer.

The identification of tumor-suppressor genes in solid tumors by classical cancer genetics methods is difficult and slow. We combined nonsense-mediated RNA decay microarrays and array-based comparative genomic hybridization for the genome-wide identification of genes with biallelic inactivation involving nonsense mutations and loss of the wild-type allele. This approach enabled us to identify previously unknown mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase gene EPHB2. The DU 145 prostate cancer cell line, originating from a brain metastasis, carries a truncating mutation of EPHB2 and a deletion of the remaining allele. Additional frameshift, splice site, missense and nonsense mutations are present in clinical prostate cancer samples. Transfection of DU 145 cells, which lack functional EphB2, with wild-type EPHB2 suppresses clonogenic growth. Taken together with studies indicating that EphB2 may have an essential role in cell migration and maintenance of normal tissue architecture, our findings suggest that mutational inactivation of EPHB2 may be important in the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

Topoisomerase-II alpha is upregulated in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and associated with clinical outcome.

PURPOSE: To identify target genes of clinical significance for patients with malignant peripheral-nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), an aggressive cancer for which no consensus therapy exists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biopsies and clinical data from 51 patients with MPNST were included in this study. Based on our previous research implicating chromosome arm 17q amplification in MPNST, we performed gene expression analyses of 14 MPNSTs using chromosome 17-specific cDNA microarrays. Copy numbers of selected gene probes and centromere probes were then determined by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization in 16 MPNSTs. Finally, we generated a tissue microarray containing 79 samples from 44 MPNSTs, on which in situ protein expressions of candidate genes were examined and related to clinical end points. RESULTS: Among several deregulated genes found by cDNA microarray analyses, topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) was the most overexpressed gene in MPNSTs compared with benign neurofibromas. Excess copies of the TOP2A were also seen at the DNA level in 10 of 16 cases, and high expression of the TOP2A protein was seen in 83% of the tumors on the tissue microarray. The TOP2A-expressing tumors were associated with poor cancer-specific survival and presence of metastases. CONCLUSION: We have identified TOP2A as a target gene in MPNST, using a focused gene expression profiling followed by a DNA copy number evaluation and clinical validation of the encoded protein using a tissue microarray. This study is the first to suggest that TOP2A expression may be a predictive factor for adverse outcome in MPNST.

Adolescent↗

Gene expression changes following androgen receptor elimination in LNCaP prostate cancer cells.

We have shown recently that inhibition of androgen receptor (AR) expression with an antisense AR oligonucleotide (ODN) inhibits LNCaP prostate tumor cells in vitro as well as in vivo. In this study, we investigated gene expression changes that occur after AR signaling blockade, either through AR elimination by antisense treatment or through complete androgen receptor inhibition by androgen deprivation combined with the antiandrogen bicalutamide, in order to search for genes that are directly or indirectly regulated through the AR. Gene expression changes were investigated with cDNA NIH 10K gene microarrays in response to treatment over 48 h. Expression of selected genes was further analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting, and radioimmunoassay. A comparison of antisense-treated and androgen-deprived cells revealed several concordances such as significant downregulation of prostate-specific genes, cell-cycle regulatory genes, genes of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, and several cytoskeletal genes. However, there were also several genes that were differentially regulated. Among the genes that were exclusively changed by treatment with the antisense AR ODN were the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) and the phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase type I alpha (PIP5KIA). On the other hand, complete androgen receptor blockade induced changes in the expression of the prostate overexpressed gene 1 and the S100 calcium binding protein P. In summary, we identified a cohort of interesting genes whose expression was highly affected by elimination of the AR in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Further investigations are warranted to clarify their role in the AR signaling pathway and their susceptibility as a target for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Anilides↗

RNAi microarray analysis in cultured mammalian cells.

RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) is a powerful new tool for analyzing gene knockdown phenotypes in living mammalian cells. To facilitate large-scale, high-throughput functional genomics studies using RNAi, we have developed a microarray-based technology for highly parallel analysis. Specifically, siRNAs in a transfection matrix were first arrayed on glass slides, overlaid with a monolayer of adherent cells, incubated to allow reverse transfection, and assessed for the effects of gene silencing by digital image analysis at a single cell level. Validation experiments with HeLa cells stably expressing GFP showed spatially confined, sequence-specific, time- and dose-dependent inhibition of green fluorescence for those cells growing directly on microspots containing siRNA targeting the GFP sequence. Microarray-based siRNA transfections analyzed with a custom-made quantitative image analysis system produced results that were identical to those from traditional well-based transfection, quantified by flow cytometry. Finally, to integrate experimental details, image analysis, data display, and data archiving, we developed a prototype information management system for high-throughput cell-based analyses. In summary, this RNAi microarray platform, together with ongoing efforts to develop large-scale human siRNA libraries, should facilitate genomic-scale cell-based analyses of gene function.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

Short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) in human cells.

Transient gene silencing in mammalian cells can be mediated by double stranded RNA (dsRNAs) molecules of approximately 20-25 nucleotides termed short interfering (siRNAs). Naturally occurring siRNAs in lower eukaryotes have characteristic structural elements; however, little is known about what features are critical for an exogenous siRNA to mediate RNAi in mammals. We have recently determined some of the critical parameters that influence the efficiency of siRNA-mediated RNAi in mammalian cells and have been considering the use of RNAi as a functional genomics tool, particularly for high throughput analysis, and the potential use of RNAi as a therapeutic tool.

Humans↗

Integration of genomic technologies for accelerated cancer drug development.

New technologies have greatly increased the scientist's ability to investigate complex molecular interactions that occur in cancer development and to identify genetic alterations and drug targets. However, these new capabilities have not accelerated drug development efforts; rather, they may be contributing to increased research and development costs because the large number of new drug targets discovered through genomics need to be investigated in great detail to characterize their putative functional involvement in the disease process. One solution to this bottleneck in functional analysis is the use of high-throughput technologies to produce efficient processes that can rapidly handle the large flood of information at every stage of disease. This review examines the use of new and emerging DNA, tissue, and live-cell transfection microarray technologies that can be used to discover, validate, and translate information resulting from the completion of the Human Genome Project.

Biotechnology↗

Impact of DNA amplification on gene expression patterns in breast cancer.

Genetic changes underlie tumor progression and may lead to cancer-specific expression of critical genes. Over 1100 publications have described the use of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to analyze the pattern of copy number alterations in cancer, but very few of the genes affected are known. Here, we performed high-resolution CGH analysis on cDNA microarrays in breast cancer and directly compared copy number and mRNA expression levels of 13,824 genes to quantitate the impact of genomic changes on gene expression. We identified and mapped the boundaries of 24 independent amplicons, ranging in size from 0.2 to 12 Mb. Throughout the genome, both high- and low-level copy number changes had a substantial impact on gene expression, with 44% of the highly amplified genes showing overexpression and 10.5% of the highly overexpressed genes being amplified. Statistical analysis with random permutation tests identified 270 genes whose expression levels across 14 samples were systematically attributable to gene amplification. These included most previously described amplified genes in breast cancer and many novel targets for genomic alterations, including the HOXB7 gene, the presence of which in a novel amplicon at 17q21.3 was validated in 10.2% of primary breast cancers and associated with poor patient prognosis. In conclusion, CGH on cDNA microarrays revealed hundreds of novel genes whose overexpression is attributable to gene amplification. These genes may provide insights to the clonal evolution and progression of breast cancer and highlight promising therapeutic targets.

Breast Neoplasms↗

New insights into testicular germ cell tumorigenesis from gene expression profiling.

We have shown recently that about half of the human TGCTs(3) reveal DNA copy number increases affecting two distinct regions on chromosome arm 17q. To identify potential target genes with elevated expressions attributable to the extra copies, we constructed a cDNA microarray containing 636 genes and expressed sequence tags from chromosome 17. The expression patterns of 14 TGCTs, 1 carcinoma in situ, and 3 normal testis samples were examined, all with known chromosome 17 copy numbers. The growth factor receptor-bound protein 7 (GRB7) and junction plakoglobin (JUP) were the two most highly overexpressed genes in the TGCTs. GRB7 is tightly linked to ERBB2 and is coamplified and coexpressed with this gene in several cancer types. Interestingly, the expression levels of ERBB2 were not elevated in the TGCTs, suggesting that GRB7 might be the target for the increased DNA copy number in TGCTs. Because of the limited knowledge of altered gene expression in the development of TGCTs, we also examined the expression levels of 512 additional genes located throughout the genome. Several genes novel to testicular tumorigenesis were consistently up- or down-regulated, including POV1, MYCL1, MYBL2, MXI1, and DNMT2. Additionally, overexpression of the proto-oncogenes CCND2 and MYCN were confirmed from the literature. The overexpressions were for some of the target genes closely associated to either seminoma or nonseminoma TGCTs, and hierarchical cluster analysis of the gene expression data effectively distinguished among the known histological subtypes. In summary, this focused functional genomic characterization of TGCTs has lead to the identification of new gene targets associated with a common genomic rearrangement as well as other genes with potential importance to testicular tumorigenesis.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17↗

Clinical validation of candidate genes associated with prostate cancer progression in the CWR22 model system using tissue microarrays.

To explore molecular mechanisms of prostate cancer progression, we applied tissue microarrays (TMAs) to analyze expression of candidate gene targets discovered by cDNA microarray analysis of the CWR22 xenograft model system. A TMA with 544 clinical specimens from different stages of disease progression was probed by mRNA in situ hybridization and protein immunohistochemistry. There was an excellent correlation (r = 0.96; n = 16) between the expression levels of the genes in the xenografts by cDNA microarray and mRNA in situ hybridization on a TMA. One of the most highly overexpressed genes in hormone-refractory CWR22R xenografts was the S100P gene. This gene, coding for a calcium signaling molecule implicated in the loss of senescence, was also significantly associated with progression in clinical tumors by TMA analysis (P < 0.001), suggesting dysregulation of this pathway in hormone-refractory and metastatic prostate cancers. Conversely, two genes that were down-regulated during tumor progression in the CWR22 model system were validated in vivo: crystallin mu (CRYM) and a LIM-domain protein LMO4 both showed significantly lower mRNA levels in hormone-refractory tumors as compared with primary tumors (P < 0.001). These results illustrate a strategy for rapid clinical validation at the mRNA and protein level of gene targets found to be differentially expressed in cDNA microarray experiments of model systems of cancer.

Animals↗

Clinical and functional target validation using tissue and cell microarrays.

Expression levels of thousands of genes or proteins can be readily determined using microarray techniques. However, this represents only the first step in understanding the biological and medical significance of these molecules. New high-throughput techniques, such as tissue and cell microarrays, will facilitate clinical and functional analysis of molecular targets.

Animals↗

High-resolution analysis of gene copy number alterations in human prostate cancer using CGH on cDNA microarrays: impact of copy number on gene expression.

Identification of target genes for genetic rearrangements in prostate cancer and the impact of copy number changes on gene expression are currently not well understood. Here, we applied high-resolution comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) on cDNA microarrays for analysis of prostate cancer cell lines. CGH microarrays identified most of the alterations detected by classic chromosomal CGH, as well as a number of previously unreported alterations. Specific recurrent regions of gain (28) and loss (18) were found, and their boundaries defined with sub-megabasepair accuracy. The most common changes included copy number decreases at 13q, and gains at 1q and 5p. Refined mapping identified several sites, such as at 13q (33-44, 49-51, and 74-76 Mbp from the p-telomere), which matched with minimal regions of loss seen in extensive loss of heterozygosity mapping studies of large numbers of tumors. Previously unreported recurrent changes were found at 2p, 2q, 3p, and 17q (losses), and at 3q, 5p, and 6p (gains). Integration of genomic and transcriptomic data revealed the role of individual candidate target genes for genomic alterations as well as a highly significant (P <.0001) overall association between copy number levels and the percentage of differentially expressed genes. Across the genome, the overall impact of copy number on gene expression levels was, to a large extent, attributable to low-level gains and losses of copy number, corresponding to common deletions and gains of often large chromosomal regions.

Gene Dosage↗