Rate Of Tumor Development Research Articles

TERT upregulation promotes cell proliferation via degradation of p21 and increases carcinogenic potential.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene aberration is detectable in >80% of cases with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TERT reactivation is essential for cellular immortalization because it stabilizes telomere length, although the role of TERT in hepatocarcinogenesis remains unelucidated. To elucidate the significance of aberrant TERT expression in hepatocytes in inflammation-associated hepatocarcinogenesis, we generated Alb-Cre;TertTg mice, which overexpress TERT in the liver and examined their phenotype during chronic inflammation. Based on transcriptome data from the liver tissue of Alb-Cre;TertTg mice, we examined the role of TERT in hepatocarcinogenesis in vitro. We also evaluated the relationship between TERT and cell-cycle-related molecules, including p21, in HCC samples. The liver tumor development rate was increased by TERT overexpression during chronic inflammation, especially in the absence of p53 function. Gene set enrichment analysis of liver tissues revealed that gene sets related to TNF-NFκB signaling, cell cycle, and apoptosis were upregulated in Alb-Cre;TertTg liver. A luciferase reporter assay and immunoprecipitation revealed that TERT interacted with NFκB p65 and enhanced NFκB promoter activity. On the other hand, TERT formed protein complexes with p21, cyclin A2, and cyclin E and promoted ubiquitin-mediated degradation of p21, specifically in the G1 phase. In the clinical HCC samples, TERT was highly expressed but p21 was conversely downregulated, and TERT expression was associated with the upregulation of molecules related to the cell cycle. Taken together, the aberrant upregulation of TERT increased NFκB promoter activity and promoted cell cycle progression via p21 ubiquitination, leading to hepatocarcinogenesis. © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Investigation of Clinical, Laboratory, Imaging Findings and Histopathological Features of Patients wıth Gastric Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia.

Neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia is a non-neoplastic proliferation of enterochromaffin-like cells and is considered a premalignant lesion because of their potential to progress to neuroendocrine tumor. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinical features, laboratory, radiological and endoscopic findings, gastric biopsy histopathological features, follow-up frequency, and histopathological findings of patients diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia as well as to investigate the factors that play a role in the development of neuroendocrine tumors on the basis of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. The study has been conducted in 2 centers with 282 patients that were grouped as those with and without neuroendocrine tumor. Individuals with control endoscopy were separated as those with regression of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia and those without regression, and the determined parameters were evaluated between the groups. The most common histological subtype of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia was linear+micronodular (50.4%). Neuroendocrine tumor developed in 4.3% (12/282) of the patients with neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia after a mean of 36 months. The presence of polyps as confirmed via endoscopy and dysplasia as confirmed via histopathological examination was significantly higher in favor of the group with neuroendocrine tumor (P = .01). In patients with neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia regressed and patients in whom it did not regress were examined, the rate of asymptomatic patients and increased sedimentation rate were found in favor of the group that did not regress (P = .02 and P = .02), but no difference was found in other parameters. Neuroendocrine tumor development rate was found to be 4.3% in the background of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia. Two factors predicting progression from neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia to neuroendocrine tumor can be elaborated as the presence of polypoid appearance due to neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia as confirmed via endoscopy and dysplasia as confirmed via histopathological examination.

Cancer Spheroids Embedded in Tissue-Engineered Skin Substitutes: A New Method to Study Tumorigenicity In Vivo.

Tumorigenic assays are used during a clinical translation to detect the transformation potential of cell-based therapies. One of these in vivo assays is based on the separate injection of each cell type to be used in the clinical trial. However, the injection method requires many animals and several months to obtain useful results. In previous studies, we showed the potential of tissue-engineered skin substitutes (TESs) as a model for normal skin in which cancer cells can be included in vitro. Herein, we showed a new method to study tumorigenicity, using cancer spheroids that were embedded in TESs (cTES) and grafted onto athymic mice, and compared it with the commonly used cell injection assay. Tumors developed in both models, cancer cell injection and cTES grafting, but metastases were not detected at the time of sacrifice. Interestingly, the rate of tumor development was faster in cTESs than with the injection method. In conclusion, grafting TESs is a sensitive method to detect tumor cell growth with and could be developed as an alternative test for tumorigenicity.

The effect of NBS1 heterozygous inactivating mutation in a model of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced carcinogenesis in mice

BACKGROUND: The creation of new experimental models carrying various heterozygous inactivating mutations in DNA repair genes and their carcinogenesis studies could expand our understanding of the spectrum of possible neoplasms that patients with such mutations are at risk of developing.
 AIM: The study of the effect of NBS1 inactivating heterozygous mutation (с.1971insT, p.Arg658Stop) in a model of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced carcinogenesis in mice.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Carcinogenesis was induced in 2-month-old female mice with and without NBS1 heterozygous mutation by intragastric administration of 7,12-DMBA (dose of 50 mg/kg once a week, for 8 weeks) on a high-fat diet. Lifetime observation was conducted, and parameters of lifespan and carcinogenesis were evaluated.
 RESULTS: NBS1 inactivating heterozygous mutation had no significant effect on the incidence of tumor pathology induced by 7,12-DMBA, but somewhat accelerated the rate of tumor development and, consequently, the death of animals. The presence of the mutation increased the sensitivity to carcinogen toxic effect, which was expressed in a statistically significant increase in death rate (by 35%) in the early stages of the study. The mean lifespan in female NBS1 mutant mice was reduced by 14% compared to mutation-free animals.
 CONCLUSION: Carrying NBS1 inactivating heterozygous mutation (с.1971insT, p.Arg658Stop) worsens the prognosis of survival in the model of chemically induced 7,12-DMBA carcinogenesis in mice.

Neoplasia risk in patients with Lynch syndrome treated with immune checkpoint blockade.

Metastatic and localized mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) tumors are exquisitely sensitive to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). The ability of ICB to prevent dMMR malignant or pre-malignant neoplasia development in patients with Lynch syndrome (LS) is unknown. Of 172 cancer-affected patients with LS who had received ≥1 ICB cycles, 21 (12%) developed subsequent malignancies after ICB exposure, 91% (29/32) of which were dMMR, with median time to development of 21 months (interquartile range, 6-38). Twenty-four of 61 (39%) ICB-treated patients who subsequently underwent surveillance colonoscopy had premalignant polyps. Within matched pre-ICB and post-ICB follow-up periods, the overall rate of tumor development was unchanged; however, on subgroup analysis, a decreased incidence of post-ICB visceral tumors was observed. These data suggest that ICB treatment of LS-associated tumors does not eliminate risk of new neoplasia development, and LS-specific surveillance strategies should continue. These data have implications for immunopreventative strategies and provide insight into the immunobiology of dMMR tumors.

Orthotopic Mouse Models of Urinary Bladder Cancer.

Urinary bladder cancer has various etiologies and tends to recur and then progress to a higher grade. When muscles are invaded, the response to conventional therapy is poor and the quality of life deteriorates rapidly. Here, we summarize and compare two representative methods used to create the syngeneic mouse models required for immunological research. In this study, we utilized six-week-old female C3H/HeNCrl mice and the mouse bladder tumor cell line MBT-2. The first method involved transurethral catheterization with poly-L-lysine pretreatment (catheter group), while the second method involved transperitoneal incision and direct injection of tumor cells into the bladder wall (open group). Mouse postoperative status was monitored on a weekly basis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The catheter group had a tumor development rate of 47% (7 out of 15 mice), with only 1 mouse developing an intravesical tumor. In contrast, the open group had a higher tumor formation rate of 69% (47 out of 68 mice), with 27 mice showing intravesical tumor formation. Notably, with a lower cell count, urinary obstruction events were observed 2 weeks post-inoculation, which is one week later than the higher cell count group. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis between the transurethral catheterization method and the transperitoneal incision and direct injection method in animal bladder tumor models. Our findings provide evidence of the consistent effectiveness in constructing a stable model within the open group. Well-designed orthotopic animal models are essential.

The effect of milk from cows infected with bovine leukemia virus on tumor development in Balb/c mice

The article describes studies on the effect of milk from immunodiffusion test - positive leukemia cows on the dynamics of tumor development in BALB/c mice caused by syngeneic plasmacytoma (myeloma) Sp.2/0 - Ag.8 cell line. The research results have shown that raw milk from cows infected with bovine leukemia virus significantly increases the rate of tumor development in both male and female mice. Boiling of that milk does not reduce its negative effect on the organism of animals. Female mice are more susceptible to milk from cows infected with bovine leukemia virus. After including milk from cows infected with the bovine leukemia virus into the diet of animals, a significant difference in tumor size from the control group of mice was manifested in both males and females, but the volumes of tumors in females were an order of magnitude larger.

Long noncoding RNA HOTAIR regulates the stemness of breast cancer cells via activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women, and it is characterized by a high rate of tumor development and heterogeneity. Breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) may well contribute to these pathological properties, but the mechanisms underlying their self-renewal and maintenance are still elusive. Here, we found that the long noncoding RNA HOTAIR is highly expressed in breast CSCs. HOTAIR is required for breast CSC self-renewal and tumor propagation. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that HOTAIR recruits the PRC2 protein complex to the promoter of IκBα to inhibit its expression, leading to activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. The activated NF-κB signaling promotes downstream c-Myc and Cyclin D1 expression. Furthermore, our analysis of clinical samples from the GEPIA database indicated that the IκBα level, as well as the survival rate of patients, with high HOTAIR expression was significantly lower than that of patients with relatively low HOTAIR expression. Our data suggest that HOTAIR-mediated NF-κB signaling primes breast CSC self-renewal and tumor propagation. In sum, we have identified HOTAIR-based NF-κB signaling regulatory circuit that promotes tumorigenic activity in breast CSCs, further indicating that HOTAIR could be a promising target for clinical treatment of breast cancers.

Oncoprotective Effect of Short-Term Hypoxic Training in Model of Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma in Mice

The search for non-drug therapies to enhance antitumor protection is one of the most urgent tasks of pathophysiology and medicine. We evaluated the impact of a course of interval hypobaric hypoxia (0.306 kg/cm2) on the development of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in mice. In the first series of experiments, the mice were subjected to hypoxic training over 10 days, and in the second series the hypoxic training was provided daily for 3 weeks, except for weekends. The tumor volume was analyzed using a caliper on day 16 (the terminal period). The weight of the mice was measured on day 0, and the final net weight was measured on day 22. The rate of cancer development in mice exposed to hypoxic training within the first 10 days decreased by 58%. Exposure to 3 weeks of hypoxic training showed no significant antitumor effect. Upon completion of the hypoxic training, the rate of tumor development increased, and at the end of the study, no significant differences in survival were found. Further research is needed to determine the optimal antitumor effect and duration of the course of interval hypobaric training.
 Keywords: Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC), mice, hypobaric hypoxia, antitumor protection, leukocytes, leukogram

Candida Albicans Activated Splenocytes Promote Strong Immune Responses in a Murine Model of Breast Cancer

Background: The potential of Candida albicans to modulate antigen-presenting cells maturation has been documented in past studies. Dendritic cells are critical modulators in the orchestration of adaptive immune responses alongside myeloid subtypes, which play an important role in the presentation of antigens to T cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of splenocytes activated with the extract of heated 4T1 cells and the yeast form of C. albicans against breast cancer growth in vivo. Methods: 4T1 cells were subcutaneously injected into the left flanks of female BALB/c mice (n=40). At a time when palpable tumors had developed, experimental groups were immunized twice at one-week interim with either activated splenocytes with the extract of heated 4T1 or the killed preparation of yeast form of C. albicans or a combination of the two-One week after the second injection, one-half of animals (n=20) were euthanized to investigate the immune response profile. Results: Administration of activated splenocytes with the combination protocol caused a favorable survival curve and slower rates of tumor development compared to other tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, combination therapy significantly increased the secretion of IFN-γ, respiratory burst and nitric oxide production and conversely diminished the secretion of IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β in the splenocyte population. Conclusion: Since the murine 4T1 cell line is similar to the final stage of human breast carcinoma, we postulate that activated splenocytes with the extract of heated 4T1 cells and yeast form of C. albicans can reduce tumor development in tumor-bearing mice.

Consequences of Zmat3 loss in c-MYC- and mutant KRAS-driven tumorigenesis

TP53 is a critical tumor suppressor that is mutated in approximately 50% of human cancers. Unveiling the downstream target genes of TP53 that fulfill its tumor suppressor function is an area of intense investigation. Zmat3 (also known as Wig-1 or PAG608) is one such downstream target of p53, whose loss in hemopoietic stem cells lacking the apoptosis and cell cycle regulators, Puma and p21, respectively, promotes the development of leukemia. The function of Zmat3 in tumorigenesis however remains unclear. Here, to investigate which oncogenic drivers co-operate with Zmat3 loss to promote neoplastic transformation, we utilized Zmat3 knockout mice in models of c-MYC-driven lymphomagenesis and KrasG12D-driven lung adenocarcinoma development. Interestingly, unlike loss of p53, Zmat3 germline loss had little impact on the rate of tumor development or severity of malignant disease upon either the c-MYC or KrasG12D oncogenic activation. Furthermore, loss of Zmat3 failed to rescue KrasG12D primary lung tumor cells from oncogene-induced senescence. Taken together, we conclude that in the context of c-MYC-driven lymphomagenesis or mutant KrasG12D-driven lung adenocarcinoma development, additional co-occurring mutations are required to resolve Zmat3 tumor suppressive activity.

21P Urethane-induced lung carcinogenesis in genetically edited C57Bl/6 mice with CHEK2 and GPRC5A heterozygous inactivating mutations

Some lung cancer (LC) patients carry germline truncating mutations in DNA repair or other cancer-related genes, however it is unclear whether these allelic variants play a causative role in LC predisposition, or, alternatively, are occasionally present in these subjects due to a chance. Case-control comparison is often not efficient due to rarity of gene-inactivating variants in population, therefore alternative approaches are required. We evaluated whether germ-line inactivation of GPRC5A and CHEK2 genes facilitates LC in mice. C57BL/6 mice with heterozygous inactivating mutations in the GPRC5A or CHEK2 genes were created using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Donor eggs were obtained from the first generation of crossing mice of C57BL/6 (males) and CBA (females) inbred strains. Offspring mice F1 bearing inactivating mutations in GPRC5A and CHEK2 were used in further breeding with C57BL/6 wild-type strain for the study purposes. Altogether, 33 females and 21 males without mutations, 11 females and 19 males with mutations in CHEK2, and 13 females and 14 males with mutations in GPRC5A were analyzed. At the age of 3 months, mice were intraperitoneally injected with urethane (1 g/kg). The experiment was stopped after 45 weeks, all animals were autopsied and the lung tumor nodes were counted. In the wild-type (control) mice, the number of affected animals was 16/33 (48%) in females and 12/21 (57%) in males (pooled males/females: 28/54 (52%)). The rate of tumor development was not increased in CHEK2-heterozygous mice (females: 6/11 (55%); males: 7/19 (37%); pooled males/females: 13/30 (43%)). However, animals carrying GPRC5A heterozygous inactivating mutations showed a trend towards elevated occurrence of carcinogen-induced lung neoplasms (females: 9/13 (69%); males: 11/14 (79%); pooled males/females: 20/27 (74%); р = 0.06 when compared to controls). These data support evidences for the involvement of GPRC5A gene in pathogenesis of lung cancer.

Abstract 6686: SO-C101 displays strong anti-tumor effect in TC-1 and TRAMP-C2 tumor mice and in combination with PD-1 blockade prevents tumor development in a NK and CD8+ T cells dependent manner

Abstract SO-C101 (RLI-15) is a superagonist fusion protein of interleukin (IL)-15 and the IL-15 receptor α (IL-15Rα) sushi+ domain designed to bypass the need of endogenous IL-15Rα, thereby leveraging the activity of IL-15 in vivo on target immune cells and reducing the toxicity of IL-15 as such. SO-C101 was previously shown to exhibit a potent anti-metastatic activity in Renca, B16F10 melanoma and delayed tumor growth in T cell-based mouse tumor models (CT26, MC38). Here we investigated the anti-tumor efficacy in predominantly natural killer (NK)-cell based mouse tumor models TC-1 and TRAMP-C2. We showed that SO-C101 monotherapy was effective in the treatment of established TC-1 tumors, which was dependent on the presence of both NK and CD8+ T cells, but not CD4+ T cells. In an early treatment setting SO-C101 significantly decreased the rate of tumor development also in dependence on NK and CD8+ T cells. SO-C101 effectively reduced tumor growth in TRAMP-C2 mice in early and advanced treatment settings. However, only in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody treatment the tumor development was prevented in majority of mice. This effect was durable, and the new tumor development was further significantly delayed after a tumor cell re-challenge, which suggests the involvement of memory T cells despite an important NK cell role in anti-tumor efficacy in these models. The efficacy of SO-C101 and anti-PD-1 treatment was not dependent on CD4+ T cells, but mainly on NK and CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, SO-C101 and anti-PD-1 treatment in double NK/CD8+ T cell-depleted mice decreased tumor growth which suggests an involvement of other immune cell populations in the anti-tumor efficacy. SO-C101 stimulated the proliferation and the cytotoxic activity of NK cells and memory CD8+ T cells without significant expansion of regulatory T cells. These data show the importance of various immune cell populations during SO-C101 monotherapy and the treatment in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies, and set a base for further complex analysis of SO-C101 behavior. The therapeutic potential of SO-C101 is currently being tested in an ongoing Phase I clinical study in cancer patients. Citation Format: Irena Adkins, Romana Mikyskova, Nada Hradilova, Guy de Martynoff, David Bechard, Ulrich Moebius, Milan Reinis, Radek Spisek. SO-C101 displays strong anti-tumor effect in TC-1 and TRAMP-C2 tumor mice and in combination with PD-1 blockade prevents tumor development in a NK and CD8+ T cells dependent manner [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 6686.

Endogenous APOBEC3B overexpression characterizes HPV-positive and HPV-negative oral epithelial dysplasias and head and neck cancers.

The DNA cytosine deaminase APOBEC3B (A3B) is a newly recognized endogenous source of mutations in a range of human tumors, including head/neck cancer. A3B inflicts C-to-T and C-to-G base substitutions in 5'-TCA/T trinucleotide motifs, contributes to accelerated rates of tumor development, and affects clinical outcomes in a variety of cancer types. High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection causes A3B overexpression, and HPV-positive cervical and head/neck cancers are among tumor types with the highest degree of APOBEC signature mutations. A3B overexpression in HPV-positive tumor types is caused by the viral E6/E7 oncoproteins and may be an early off-to-on switch in tumorigenesis. In comparison, less is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for A3B overexpression in HPV-negative head/neck cancers. Here, we utilize an immunohistochemical approach to determine whether A3B is turned from off-to-on or if it undergoes a more gradual transition to overexpression in HPV-negative head/neck cancers. As positive controls, almost all HPV-positive oral epithelial dysplasias and oropharyngeal cancers showed high levels of nuclear A3B staining regardless of diagnosis. As negative controls, A3B levels were low in phenotypically normal epithelium adjacent to cancer and oral epithelial hyperplasias. Interestingly, HPV-negative and low-grade oral epithelial dysplasias showed intermediate A3B levels, while high-grade oral dysplasias showed high A3B levels similar to oral squamous cell carcinomas. A3B levels were highest in grade 2 and grade 3 oral squamous cell carcinomas. In addition, a strong positive association was found between nuclear A3B and Ki67 scores suggesting a linkage to the cell cycle. Overall, these results support a model in which gradual activation of A3B expression occurs during HPV-negative tumor development and suggest that A3B overexpression may provide a marker for advanced grade oral dysplasia and cancer.

Paradoxical interaction between cancer and long-term postsepsis disorder: impairment of de novo carcinogenesis versus favoring the growth of established tumors.

BackgroundPrevious data have reported that the growth of established tumors may be facilitated by postsepsis disorder through changes in the microenvironment and immune dysfunction. However, the influence of postsepsis disorder in initial carcinogenesis remains elusive.MethodsIn the present work, the effect of postsepsis on inflammation-induced early carcinogenesis was evaluated in an experimental model of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). We also analyzed the frequency and role of intestinal T regulatory cells (Treg) in CAC carcinogenesis.ResultsThe colitis grade and the tumor development rate were evaluated postmortem or in vivo through serial colonoscopies. Sepsis-surviving mice (SSM) presented with a lower colonic DNA damage, polyp incidence, reduced tumor load, and milder colitis than their sham-operated counterparts. Ablating Treg led to restoration of the ability to develop colitis and tumor polyps in the SSM, in a similar fashion to that in the sham-operated mice. On the other hand, the growth of subcutaneously inoculated MC38luc colorectal cancer cells or previously established chemical CAC tumors was increased in SSM.ConclusionOur results provide evidence that postsepsis disorder has a dual effect in cancer development, inhibiting inflammation-induced early carcinogenesis in a Treg-dependent manner, while increasing the growth of previously established tumors.

Host and Tumor Factor XII Drive Ovarian Cancer Maintenance and Progression

Host and Tumor Factor XII Drive Ovarian Cancer Maintenance and Progression Introduction . Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women.Effective strategies to treat this disease are lacking due to the complexity of pathways involved and the multitude of cells that contribute to EOC biology. To this end, coagulation factor XII (FXII) and its receptor urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) represent very promising therapeutic targets because i) uPAR is overexpressed in more than 90% of ovarian cancer patients, ii) FXII has been shown to be upregulated in the peritoneum of EOC patients and promotes EOC dissemination and iii) FXII-uPAR signal and upregulate key neutrophil functions, recently linked to tumor growth and metastasis. Through analysis of the TCGA ovarian cancer patient cohort, we have found that FXII and uPAR are co-expressed in ovarian tumors and their overexpression is associated with decreased overall survival (Fig 1A-B). Given that FXII and uPAR can be produced by both the EOC tumor and the host, the contribution of each of these compartments which has not been examined to date needs to be explored. Thus, we asked if the FXII-uPAR axis in neutrophils and EOC cells synergistically influences tumor biology. Methods - Results. We utilized a tissue microarray to determine FXII and uPAR expression. Both FXII and uPAR were co-expressed in all major histologic subtypes of EOC tumors but not in normal ovarian epithelium (Fig C-D). We adopted a composite expression score system and found significantly increased expression of FXII and uPAR in high grade tumors compared to low grade (grade 1-2) tumors, independently of tumor subtype and stage (Fig 1C-D). Given prior reports that neutrophils are enriched in the ovarian tumor microenvironment (TME) and our findings that FXII-uPAR are integral to neutrophil activation, tumors were also examined for their neutrophil content. Invariably, as tumor grade advanced, Neutrophil Elastase expression significantly increased (data not shown). We next asked if neutrophils contribute to EOC tumor progression or their recruitment merely correlates with advanced disease. We found that in the presence of neutrophils, EOC cells migrate significantly faster (p<0.0001). Since enhanced tumor cell migration implies a pro-mesenchymal phenotype, we examined if neutrophils facilitate EOC cell epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Murine EOC cancer cells (ID8) were co-cultured with wild type (WT) neutrophils for 24 h; cells were harvested and used for immunoblotting and mRNA studies. We found that WT neutrophils significantly increased the expression of mesenchymal marker(s) vimentin and N-cadherin while they decreased the expression of E-cadherin, suggesting that neutrophils promote EMT of EOC cancer cells (Fig 1E). To investigate whether the FXII-uPAR axis contributed to neutrophil-induced EMT, we next co-cultured ID8 cells with neutrophils from tumor-bearing FXII deleted (F12-/-)mice. In ID8 cells co-cultured with F12-/-neutrophils, EOC induced EMT was blocked. Similarly, treatment with 2 peptide inhibitors that block the FXII-uPAR interaction (collectively termed, SMPAs), reversed the pro-invasive effects of both ID8 cells and WT neutrophils (Fig 1F). Next, in order to assess whether host FXII could contribute to EOC dissemination and progression we utilized WT, F12-/-, and uPAR deficient (Plaur-/-) mice for in vivo EOC tumor model. After orthotopic injection of ID8 EOC cells, WT mice exhibited faster rates of tumor development and ascitic fluid accumulation (13.4 ± 0.92 ml), relative to F12-/- (0.37 ± 0.26 ml) and Plaur-/- (0.5 ± 0.5 ml) mice (Fig 1G). Blinded examination of tumors showed significantly higher tumor burden in WT mice compared to F12-/-and Plaur-/- mice, with F12-/-mice exhibiting the highest degree of protection (Fig 1H). Conclusions . Our studies indicate three novel aspects: i) a direct crosstalk between ovarian cancer cells and neutrophils, that enhances tumor cell migration through FXII-uPAR signaling; ii) the presence of neutrophils in the TME induces EMT of cancer cells which is abolished when the FXII-uPAR interaction is inhibited and; iii) abrogation of the FXII-uPAR axis in EOC tumor cells and neutrophils, synergistically restricts the pro-invasive phenotype of ovarian tumor cells. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Abstract PR07: Role of the microbiota in inflammation and lung cancer

Abstract We recently conducted the first comprehensive characterization of the lung cancer microbiome, utilizing 16S rRNA gene sequencing of lung tissue from controls and cancer cases, with validation by metagenomics analysis of RNA-seq unmapped reads from lung cancer samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Evidence from 16S rRNA and metagenomics analysis indicated that specific bacteria are associated with the development of lung cancer in humans. However, the functional role of bacteria in the inflammatory microenvironment of the lung and the incidence and progression of lung cancer is unknown. Cigarette smoke, the primary risk factor in lung cancer, reduces epithelial barrier integrity and increases susceptibility to infections. We hypothesized that lung colonization with selected bacterial strains will affect the immune microenvironment and accelerate the rate of tumor development in an autochthonous mouse model of lung cancer. Specifically, we focused on Acidovorax, a taxon we found to be enriched in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from smokers and with TP53 mutations. KrasLSL-G12D/+ and Trp53LSL-R172H/+ mice (KPC mouse model), conditionally expressing oncogenic Kras and a gain-of-function mutant p53 (a combination of mutations commonly found in human lung cancer), were exposed to Acidovorax temperans via intranasal delivery. Two weeks after exposure to 5 x 106 PFU Ad-Cre (specifically activating the conditional alleles in the lungs), mice were randomly assigned to treatment groups. A biweekly intranasal instillation of 109 CFU Acidovorax temperans (ATCC #49666) was administered in PBS and compared with a sham treatment (PBS alone) for a total of six instillations. One week after the last bacteria instillation (13 weeks after Ad-Cre treatment), mice were subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We found a significant increase in tumor volume in animals inoculated with Acidovorax temperans as compared to sham-treated animals (p=0.03), and increased lung weight as a percent of total body weight. To delineate the interactions between the bacteria and the immune system of the host, we co-cultured Acidovorax temperans with human primary macrophages. Our findings show that when Acidovorax temperans is engulfed by M2-like macrophages, the phagocytotic activity of the macrophages is attenuated. In addition, when T cells were co-cultured with M2 macrophages pre-exposed to Acidovorax temperans, their cytotoxicity was inhibited. This inhibition was governed by the CD47-SIRPα “Don’t eat me” signal. These preliminary data indicate that Acidovorax temperans contributes to lung tumorigenesis in the presence of activated Kras and mutant p53. We are conducting additional experiments to investigate the specificity of this observation with respect to Acidovorax temperans and to better understand the role of the microbiota in cancer initiation and progression. This abstract is also being presented as Poster B19. Citation Format: Ana I. Robles, Tomer Cooks, Eleazar Vega-Valle, Marie Vetizou, Uriel Rose, Akihiko Miyanaga, Akriti Trehan, Takahiro Oike, Brid M. Ryan, Shurjo Sen, Leigh Greathouse, Giorgio Trinchieri, Curtis C. Harris. Role of the microbiota in inflammation and lung cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR-IASLC International Joint Conference: Lung Cancer Translational Science from the Bench to the Clinic; Jan 8-11, 2018; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(17_Suppl):Abstract nr PR07.

Abstract 2359: Adults with heterozygote carrier of immune deficiency variants have increased risk of cancer

Abstract Introduction: Relationship between several mendelian disorders and cancer has been reported. Although correlation between immune-deficiency disorder and cancer development is well known, most studies have been conducted on patients with established immunodeficient diseases. Rate of tumor development in recessive heterozygous carriers of immunodeficiency genes is not clear yet. Methods: Using whole-genome sequence data from International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) Pan-Cancer Analysis of Working Group (PCAWG) and 1000 Genome projects, we analyzed 110 genes which are associated with immunodeficiency disorder and cancer risk. The 110 genes are reported previously as pathogen of immunodeficiency disorder and present in OMIM database. We selected a pathogenic variant of the 110 genes based on the clinical database such as HGMD and Clivar. Results: Total of 461 pathogenic variants were detected in both cohorts. The prevalence of pathogenic variants of Immunodeficiency disorder was 4.7% in the ICGC-PCAWG cohort and 3.3% in 1000 Genome cohort. Pathogenic variants were observed more frequently in ICGC-PCAWG than in 1000 Genome cohort (p=0.00267) (odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.16-2.06), implying that immune deficiency disorder increases cancer risk. Gallbladder cancer patients most frequently had pathogenic variants (25%, 3/12) followed by ovarian cancer patients (8%, 9/110). The gene with the strongest cancer-evoking potential was TYK2 (p= 4.978 × 10-7). In addition, seven genes were uncovered to be significantly associated with cancer development (RORC, ATM, RTEL1, CTSC, RAG1, PMS2 and IRAK4). Conclusion: In conclusion, using large whole-genome sequencing global projects, we statistically prove the previous notion that immunodeficiency provokes cancer development. We identified specific germline variants associated with cancer, which would be considered as cancer-predisposing genes. Citation Format: Daeyoon Kim, Murim Choi, Moon-woo Seong, Sung-Soo Yoon, Youngil Koh, Hongseok Yun. Adults with heterozygote carrier of immune deficiency variants have increased risk of cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2359.

Alcoholic versus Non‐alcoholic Steatohepatitis: Levels of Expression of Some Proteins Involved in Tumorigenesis

Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is commonly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or hypertriglyceridemia, while alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) is associated with alcohol abuse. Both NASH and ASH patients can develop cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma if left untreated. However, the rate of tumorigenesis in NASH and ASH appears to be different. Individuals with NASH progress to cirrhosis at a rate of 7–10% annually, when individuals with ASH progress to cirrhosis at a rate of 10–20% annually. Thus, the objective of our study is to determine if there are differences in NASH versus ASH in the levels of different proteins expressed involved in cancer development. The method used was measuring the proteins expressed in liver biopsied sections from NASH and ASH patients using immunohistochemical staining with fluorescent antibodies and then quantitating the fluorescence intensity morphometrically. Normal liver biopsies were used as controls. The 20 proteins tested were parts of the Ingenuity Canonical Pathway of Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer and included: RAP2B, NAIP, FYN, PAK6, SUV39H1, GNAI1, BAX, E2F3, CKDN2B, BAK1, BCL2, DIABLO, RASGRF2, GNA15, PIK3CB, BRCA1, MAP2K1, BIRC3, CDK2, and ATM. For the results, in ASH, the proteins which had upregulated levels of expression were SUV39H1, E2F3, BCL2, BAK1, BIRC3, and GNAI1. In NASH, the proteins which had upregulated levels of expression were BAK1 and GNAI1 and the one which had downregulated levels of expression was BCL2. Additionally, the levels of expression for SUV39H1, E2F3, BCL2, BAK1, BIRC3 and GNAI1 were significant upregulated in ASH compared to NASH. These results showed significant differences in ASH compared to normal liver, and significant differences in ASH compared to NASH. We conclude that there are more proteins involved in tumorigenesis in ASH compared to NASH and normal liver, which is consistent with the known tumor development rate in ASH and NASH.Support or Funding InformationThis study was funded by NIH:NIAAA grant # UO1‐021898‐05This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Alcoholic hepatitis versus non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Levels of expression of some proteins involved in tumorigenesis

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is commonly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and/or hypertriglyceridemia, while alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) is associated with alcohol abuse. Both NASH and ASH patients can develop cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) if left untreated. However, the rate of tumorigenesis in NASH and ASH appears to be different. Individuals with NASH progress to HCC at a rate of 0.5% annually (Lindenmeyer and McCullough, 2018), when individuals with ASH progress to HCC at a rate of 3–10% annually (Schwartz and Reinus, 2012). Thus, the objective of our study is to determine if there are differences in NASH versus ASH in the levels of different proteins expressed involved in cancer development. The method used was measuring the proteins expressed in liver biopsied sections from NASH and ASH patients using immunohistochemical staining with fluorescent antibodies and then quantitating the fluorescence intensity morphometrically. The 20 proteins tested are parts of the Ingenuity Canonical Pathway of Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer and include: RAP2B, NAIP, FYN, PAK6, SUV39H1, GNAI1, BAX, E2F3, CKDN2B, BAK1, BCL2, DIABLO, RASGRF2, GNA15, PIK3CB, BRCA1, MAP2K1, BIRC3, CDK2, and ATM. In ASH, the proteins that showed upregulated levels of expression were SUV39H1, E2F3, BCL2, BAK1, BIRC3, and GNAI1. In NASH, the proteins that showed upregulated levels of expression were BAK1 and GNAI1 and the protein that showed downregulated level of expression was BCL2. Additionally, levels of expression for SUV39H1, E2F3, BCL2, BAK1, BIRC3, and GNAI1 were significant upregulated in ASH compared to NASH. These results showed significant differences in ASH compared to normal liver, and significant differences in ASH compared to NASH. Thus, we conclude that there are more proteins involved in tumorigenesis in ASH compared to NASH and in ASH compared to normal liver, which is consistent with the known tumor development rate in ASH and NASH.