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Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis in Urological Tumors

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 12564

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

When a tumor is diagnosed, many patients are faced with the question of how long they will survive with this condition and how and how fast they have to be treated. Clinical and pathological examinations help to differentiate tumors in terms of their degree of aggressiveness. This may help to make a treatment decision after a tumor diagnosis and to estimate cancer-specific survival. However, individual risk stratification is also subject to some challenges. For example, it is not always possible to find the relevant tumor site in a biopsy or it is difficult to reach it. Pathological examination can also be interobserver-variable. An example of this is Gleason grading in prostate cancer. In many cases, urological tumors present a heterogeneity that cannot be precisely determined. Therefore, it may happen that tumors which do not differ in their clinical and pathological characteristics have to be treated a different way or have a completely different oncological outcome after treatment.

Genetic analyses may be able to answer these clinical questions. Various methodologies can be used for this purpose. These investigations may involve tumor tissue, adjacent stroma tissue, and urine or blood samples.

For this Special Issue, we are looking for original research article and state-of-the-art reviews which can demonstrate that new or already established genetic markers may be helpful to improve diagnosis or better predict oncological outcome.

Dr. Pierre Tennstedt
Dr. Burkhard Beyer
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • urology
  • cancer
  • survival
  • biomarker
  • diagnosis
  • prognosis
  • tissue micro array
  • mouse model
  • xenografts
  • circulating tumor cells
  • liquid biopsy
  • genome sequencing

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3317 KiB  
Article
Histone Demethylase LSD1 Regulates Kidney Cancer Progression by Modulating Androgen Receptor Activity
by Kyoung-Hwa Lee, Byung-Chan Kim, Seung-Hwan Jeong, Chang Wook Jeong, Ja Hyeon Ku, Cheol Kwak and Hyeon Hoe Kim
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(17), 6089; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21176089 - 24 Aug 2020
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3396
Abstract
Kidney cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat by targeted and radiation therapy. Therefore, identifying key regulators in this cancer is especially important for finding new drugs. We focused on androgen receptor (AR) regulation by its epigenetic co-regulator lysine-specific histone [...] Read more.
Kidney cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat by targeted and radiation therapy. Therefore, identifying key regulators in this cancer is especially important for finding new drugs. We focused on androgen receptor (AR) regulation by its epigenetic co-regulator lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1) in kidney cancer development. LSD1 knock-down in kidney cancer cells decreased expression of AR target genes. Moreover, the binding of AR to target gene promoters was reduced and histone methylation status was changed in LSD1 knock-down kidney cancer cells. LSD1 knock-down also slowed growth and decreased the migration ability of kidney cancer cells. We found that pargyline, known as a LSD1 inhibitor, can reduce AR activity in kidney cancer cells. The treatment of kidney cancer cells with pargyline delayed growth and repressed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. These effects were additively enhanced by co-treatment with the AR inhibitor enzalutamide. Down-regulation of LSD1 in renal cancer cells (RCC) attenuated in vivo tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. These results provide evidence that LSD1 can regulate kidney cancer cell growth via epigenetic control of AR transcription factors and that LSD1 inhibitors may be good candidate drugs for treating kidney cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis in Urological Tumors)
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13 pages, 3428 KiB  
Article
Simultaneous Monitoring of Multi-Enzyme Activity and Concentration in Tumor Using a Triply Labeled Fluorescent In Vivo Imaging Probe
by Jenny Tam, Alexander Pilozzi, Umar Mahmood and Xudong Huang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(9), 3068; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21093068 - 27 Apr 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3162
Abstract
The use of fluorescent imaging probes that monitor the activity of proteases that experience an increase in expression and activity in tumors is well established. These probes can be conjugated to nanoparticles of iron oxide, creating a multimodal probe serving as both a [...] Read more.
The use of fluorescent imaging probes that monitor the activity of proteases that experience an increase in expression and activity in tumors is well established. These probes can be conjugated to nanoparticles of iron oxide, creating a multimodal probe serving as both a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent and an indicator of local protease activity. Previous works describe probes for cathepsin D (CatD) and metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) protease activity grafted to cross-linked iron oxide nanoparticles (CLIO). Herein, we have synthesized a triply labeled fluorescent iron oxide nanoparticle molecular imaging (MI) probe, including an AF750 substrate concentration reporter along with probes for cathepsin B (CatB) sand MMP2 protease activity. The reporter provides a baseline signal from which to compare the activity of the two proteases. The activity of the MI probe was verified through incubation with the proteases and tested in vitro using the human HT29 tumor cell line and in vivo using female nude mice injected with HT29 cells. We found the MI probe had the appropriate specificity to the activity of their respective proteases, and the reporter dye did not activate when incubated in the presence of only MMP2 and CatB. Probe fluorescent activity was confirmed in vitro, and reporter signal activation was also noted. The fluorescent activity was also visible in vivo, with injected HT29 cells exhibiting fluorescence, distinguishing them from the rest of the animal. The reporter signal was also observable in vivo, which allowed the signal intensities of the protease probes to be corrected; this is a unique feature of this MI probe design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis in Urological Tumors)
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Review

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9 pages, 222 KiB  
Review
The Bladder EpiCheck Test as a Non-Invasive Tool Based on the Identification of DNA Methylation in Bladder Cancer Cells in the Urine: A Review of Published Evidence
by Mariangela Mancini, Marialaura Righetto, Sara Zumerle, Monica Montopoli and Filiberto Zattoni
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(18), 6542; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21186542 - 8 Sep 2020
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 5116
Abstract
Recently, there has been a great effort to develop tests based on non-invasive urinary biomarkers (NMIBCs). These tests are based on the fact that NMIBCs are heterogeneous at the molecular level and can be divided into different molecular groups useful to predict prognosis [...] Read more.
Recently, there has been a great effort to develop tests based on non-invasive urinary biomarkers (NMIBCs). These tests are based on the fact that NMIBCs are heterogeneous at the molecular level and can be divided into different molecular groups useful to predict prognosis and response to treatment. The assessment of epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, represents a promising cancer biomarker. DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification that affects gene expression without modifying the DNA sequence. Several studies have highlighted the presence of methylated loci in the context of bladder cancer, indicating its potential application as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. One of the novel assays based on a DNA methylation profile, the Bladder EpiCheck, analyzes DNA from spontaneous urine, detecting disease-specific DNA methylation patterns in bladder cancer patients. This test, due to its non-invasive nature and highly promising performance could, in future, become an invaluable tool in the follow-up of bladder cancer patients. Potential new applications could include diagnosis and surveillance of upper-tract disease, for the replacement of invasive testing and ureteroscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Prognosis in Urological Tumors)
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