{"title":"Molecular alterations in claudin 18 suppressed and non-suppressed gastric adenocarcinomas to guide targeted therapies.","authors":"Ioannis A Voutsadakis","doi":"10.1080/21688370.2024.2348852","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gastric adenocarcinoma represents an aggressive type of cancer and an important cause of cancer mortality. Progress in gastric cancer therapeutics has resulted from a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the disease and introduction of targeted therapies, but most gastric cancer patients still rely on non-targeted chemotherapy as the mainstay of treatment for advanced disease.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An analysis of publicly available series from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) gastric cancer cohort was undertaken to delineate the clinical and genomic landscape of gastric cancers with suppressed expression of claudin 18 compared with cancers with non-suppressed claudin 18. Claudin 18 suppressed cancers were defined as having an mRNA expression z-score relative to normal samples (log RNA Seq V2) of less than -1. Claudin 18 non-suppressed cancers were defined as having an mRNA expression z-score relative to normal samples (log RNA Seq V2) above 0.5.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Gastric cancers with claudin 18 mRNA suppression represented 7.7% of the gastric adenocarcinomas of TCGA cohort, while non-suppressed cancers represented 46.6% of the cases. The two groups did not differ in clinical and genomic characteristics, such as mean age, histology, grade, and stage. The mutation landscape of claudin 18 suppressed cases included high mutation rates of TP53, of genes of the WNT/β-catenin pathway and of ubiquitin ligase <i>FBXW7</i>. Moreover, a subset of both claudin 18 suppressed and non-suppressed cancers displayed mutations in Mismatch Repair (MMR) associated genes or a high tumor mutation burden (TMB). At the mRNA expression level, claudin 18 suppressed gastric cancers showed up-regulation of EMT core transcription factor Snail 2 and down-regulation of genes of HLA cluster. The survival of gastric cancer patients with claudin 18 mRNA suppression was not significantly different compared with patients with non-suppressed claudin 18.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Sub-sets of gastric cancers with claudin 18 mRNA suppression displayed characteristics of potential therapeutic interest, such as mutations in WNT and PI3K pathways and MMR defects. These may guide the development of alternative targeted therapies, in this sub-set of gastric cancers which are not candidates for claudin 18 targeting therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23469,"journal":{"name":"Tissue Barriers","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Tissue Barriers","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21688370.2024.2348852","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma represents an aggressive type of cancer and an important cause of cancer mortality. Progress in gastric cancer therapeutics has resulted from a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the disease and introduction of targeted therapies, but most gastric cancer patients still rely on non-targeted chemotherapy as the mainstay of treatment for advanced disease.
Methods: An analysis of publicly available series from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) gastric cancer cohort was undertaken to delineate the clinical and genomic landscape of gastric cancers with suppressed expression of claudin 18 compared with cancers with non-suppressed claudin 18. Claudin 18 suppressed cancers were defined as having an mRNA expression z-score relative to normal samples (log RNA Seq V2) of less than -1. Claudin 18 non-suppressed cancers were defined as having an mRNA expression z-score relative to normal samples (log RNA Seq V2) above 0.5.
Results: Gastric cancers with claudin 18 mRNA suppression represented 7.7% of the gastric adenocarcinomas of TCGA cohort, while non-suppressed cancers represented 46.6% of the cases. The two groups did not differ in clinical and genomic characteristics, such as mean age, histology, grade, and stage. The mutation landscape of claudin 18 suppressed cases included high mutation rates of TP53, of genes of the WNT/β-catenin pathway and of ubiquitin ligase FBXW7. Moreover, a subset of both claudin 18 suppressed and non-suppressed cancers displayed mutations in Mismatch Repair (MMR) associated genes or a high tumor mutation burden (TMB). At the mRNA expression level, claudin 18 suppressed gastric cancers showed up-regulation of EMT core transcription factor Snail 2 and down-regulation of genes of HLA cluster. The survival of gastric cancer patients with claudin 18 mRNA suppression was not significantly different compared with patients with non-suppressed claudin 18.
Conclusion: Sub-sets of gastric cancers with claudin 18 mRNA suppression displayed characteristics of potential therapeutic interest, such as mutations in WNT and PI3K pathways and MMR defects. These may guide the development of alternative targeted therapies, in this sub-set of gastric cancers which are not candidates for claudin 18 targeting therapies.
期刊介绍:
Tissue Barriers is the first international interdisciplinary journal that focuses on the architecture, biological roles and regulation of tissue barriers and intercellular junctions. We publish high quality peer-reviewed articles that cover a wide range of topics including structure and functions of the diverse and complex tissue barriers that occur across tissue and cell types, including the molecular composition and dynamics of polarized cell junctions and cell-cell interactions during normal homeostasis, injury and disease state. Tissue barrier formation in regenerative medicine and restoration of tissue and organ function is also of interest. Tissue Barriers publishes several categories of articles including: Original Research Papers, Short Communications, Technical Papers, Reviews, Perspectives and Commentaries, Hypothesis and Meeting Reports. Reviews and Perspectives/Commentaries will typically be invited. We also anticipate to publish special issues that are devoted to rapidly developing or controversial areas of research. Suggestions for topics are welcome. Tissue Barriers objectives: Promote interdisciplinary awareness and collaboration between researchers working with epithelial, epidermal and endothelial barriers and to build a broad and cohesive worldwide community of scientists interesting in this exciting field. Comprehend the enormous complexity of tissue barriers and map cross-talks and interactions between their different cellular and non-cellular components. Highlight the roles of tissue barrier dysfunctions in human diseases. Promote understanding and strategies for restoration of tissue barrier formation and function in regenerative medicine. Accelerate a search for pharmacological enhancers of tissue barriers as potential therapeutic agents. Understand and optimize drug delivery across epithelial and endothelial barriers.