Non-catalytic role of SETD1A promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation through the E2F4-TAF6 axis in the cell cycle.

SETD1A is a member of the KMT2 histone H3K4 methyltransferase family of mammalian proteins. Aberrant SETD1A expression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer (GC). We found that the catalytic domain of SETD1A is nonessential for GC cell proliferation, whereas the non-catalytic FLOS domain is essential.

base-excision restriction enzyme in stomach carcinogenesis.

Many recent lines of evidence from the human microbiome and other fields indicate bacterial involvement in various types of cancer. has been recognized as the major cause of stomach cancer (gastric cancer), but the mechanism by which it destabilizes the human genome to cause cancer remains unclear. Our recent studies have identified a unique family of toxic restriction enzymes that excise a base (: adenine) from their recognition sequence (5'-GTC).

Non-enzymatic SETD1A activity drives breast cancer cell proliferation via cyclin K.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. SETD1A, a histone H3 lysine-4 methyltransferase, is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. While both its enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions are implicated in cancer progression, the specific role of SETD1A in breast cancer remains unclear.

Regulation of H3K4me3 breadth and MYC expression by the SETD1B catalytic domain in MLL-rearranged leukemia.

Histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) is abundant in mixed-lineage leukemia-rearranged (MLL-r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells; however, the responsible enzymes and their roles remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the modifier responsible for high H3K4me3 modification in MLL-r leukemia and its downstream targets essential for the cell proliferation. Here, we performed a CRISPR-tiling screen against known H3K4 methylation modifiers in an MLL-r AML model.

Association of Intratumoral Bacterial Abundance With Lung Cancer Prognosis in Chiba University Hospital Cohort.

The relationship between cancer prognosis and intratumoral microbiome has recently gained attention. Regarding lung cancer, most studies have focused on bacteria outside tumors, such as sputum or lavage fluid, with few examining intratumoral bacteria and their impact on prognosis. In this study, we extracted DNA from lung tumor samples of 507 patients undergoing surgery at Chiba University Hospital and quantified intratumoral bacterial abundance using bacteria-specific PCR primers.

iPSC-derived megakaryocytes and platelets accelerate wound healing and angiogenesis.

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is prepared by concentrating platelets in autologous blood, shows efficacy in chronic skin wounds via multiple growth factors. However, it exhibits heterogeneity across patients, leading to unstable therapeutic efficacy. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived megakaryocytes and platelets (iMPs) are capable of providing a stable supply, holding promise as materials for novel platelet concentrate-based therapies.

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotransferase: Novel biomarker and therapeutic target for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Cancer cells show a dynamic metabolic landscape, requiring a sufficient supply of nucleotides to proliferate. They are highly dependent on de novo purine biosynthetic pathways for their nucleotide requirements. Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotransferase (PPAT), catalyzing the first step of de novo purine biosynthesis, is highly expressed in various cancers.

BOD1L mediates chromatin binding and non-canonical function of H3K4 methyltransferase SETD1A.

The H3K4 methyltransferase SETD1A plays an essential role in both development and cancer. However, essential components involved in SETD1A chromatin binding remain unclear. Here, we discovered that BOD1L exhibits the highest correlated SETD1A co-dependency in human cancer cell lines.

Retrotransposons in Werner syndrome-derived macrophages trigger type I interferon-dependent inflammation in an atherosclerosis model.

The underlying mechanisms of atherosclerosis, the second leading cause of death among Werner syndrome (WS) patients, are not fully understood. Here, we establish an in vitro co-culture system using macrophages (iMφs), vascular endothelial cells (iVECs), and vascular smooth muscle cells (iVSMCs) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. In co-culture, WS-iMφs induces endothelial dysfunction in WS-iVECs and characteristics of the synthetic phenotype in WS-iVSMCs.

Integrated enhancer regulatory network by enhancer-promoter looping in gastric cancer.

Enhancer -regulatory elements play critical roles in gene regulation at many stages of cell growth. Enhancers in cancer cells also regulate the transcription of oncogenes. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of long-range chromatin interactions, histone modifications, chromatin accessibility and expression in two gastric cancer (GC) cell lines compared to normal gastric epithelial cells.

Genomic Analysis of Undifferentiated Carcinoma of the Pancreas with Squamous Differentiation: A Case Report.

Pancreatic cancer is an intractable malignancy associated with a dismal prognosis. Undifferentiated carcinoma, a rare subtype, poses a clinical challenge owing to a limited understanding of its molecular characteristics. In this study, we conducted genomic analysis specifically on a case of undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas exhibiting squamous differentiation.

Chromatin activation with H3K36me2 and compartment shift in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Epigenetic modifiers are upregulated during the process of prostate cancer, acquiring resistance to castration therapy and becoming lethal metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the relationship between regulation of histone modifications and chromatin structure in CRPC has yet not fully been validated. Here, we reanalyzed publicly available clinical transcriptome and clinical outcome data and identified NSD2, a histone methyltransferase that catalyzes H3K36me2, as an epigenetic modifier that was upregulated in CRPC and whose increased expression in prostate cancer correlated with higher recurrence rate.

Enhancer infestation drives tumorigenic activation of inactive B compartment in Epstein-Barr virus-positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignant epithelial tumor endemic to Southern China and Southeast Asia. While previous studies have revealed a low frequency of gene mutations in NPC, its epigenomic aberrations are not fully elucidated apart from DNA hypermethylation. Epigenomic rewiring and enhancer dysregulation, such as enhancer hijacking due to genomic structural changes or extrachromosomal DNA, drive cancer progression.

Genome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation in Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Originated from Appendiceal Neoplasms.

Introduction: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a disease characterized by progressive accumulation of intraperitoneal mucinous ascites produced by neoplasms in the abdominal cavity. Since the prognosis of patients with PMP remains unsatisfactory, the development of effective therapeutic drug(s) is a matter of pressing concern. Genetic analyses of PMP have clarified the frequent activation of GNAS and/or KRAS.

Integrated environmental, lifestyle, and epigenetic risk prediction of primary gastric neoplasia using the longitudinally monitored cohorts.

Background: DNA methylation accumulates in non-malignant gastric mucosa after exposure to pathogens. To elucidate how environmental, methylation, and lifestyle factors interplay to influence primary gastric neoplasia (GN) risk, we analyzed longitudinally monitored cohorts in Japan and Singapore.

Methods: Asymptomatic subjects who underwent a gastric mucosal biopsy on the health check-up were enrolled.

Peritumoral SPARC expression induced by exosomes from nasopharyngeal carcinoma infected Epstein-Barr virus: A poor prognostic marker.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells have high metastatic potential. Recent research has revealed that the interaction of between tumor cells and the surrounding stroma plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. In this study, we showed the prognostic value of expression of SPARC, an extracellular matrix protein with multiple cellular functions, in normal adjacent tissues (NAT) surrounding NPC.

SETD1A function in leukemia is mediated through interaction with mitotic regulators BuGZ/BUB3.

The H3K4 methyltransferase SETD1A plays a crucial role in leukemia cell survival through its noncatalytic FLOS domain-mediated recruitment of cyclin K and regulation of DNA damage response genes. In this study, we identify a functional nuclear localization signal in and interaction partners of the FLOS domain. Our screen for FLOS domain-binding partners reveals that the SETD1A FLOS domain binds mitosis-associated proteins BuGZ/BUB3.

Association of frequent hypermethylation with high grade histological subtype in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma is classified morphologically into five histological subtypes according to the WHO classification. While each histological subtype correlates with a distinct prognosis, the molecular basis has not been fully elucidated. Here we conducted DNA methylation analysis of 30 lung adenocarcinoma cases annotated with the predominant histological subtypes and three normal lung cases using the Infinium BeadChip.

Tumorigenic activation around HPV integrated sites in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is causally involved in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The integration of HPV drives tumorigenesis through expression of oncogenic viral genes as well as genomic alterations in surrounding regions. To elucidate involvement of epigenetic dysregulation in tumorigenesis, we here performed integrated analyses of the epigenome, transcriptome and interactome using ChIP-seq, RNA-seq and Hi-C and 4C-seq for HPV(+) HNSCCs.

SETD1A regulates transcriptional pause release of heme biosynthesis genes in leukemia.

Histone methyltransferase SETD1A is critical for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell survival, but the molecular mechanism driving SETD1A gene regulation remains elusive. To delineate the role of SETD1A, we utilize a protein degrader technology to induce rapid SETD1A degradation in AML cell lines. SETD1A degradation results in immediate downregulation of transcripts associated with DNA repair and heme biosynthesis pathways.

Anti-proliferating and apoptosis-inducing activity of chemical compound FTI-6D in association with p53 in human cancer cell lines.

Compounds with 3,4-fused tricyclic indole (FTI) frameworks are attractive scaffolds for drug discovery. We synthesized FTI-6D, a compound with this framework, which was cytotoxic in several human cancer cell lines. FTI-6D induced apoptosis via activation of the p53 downstream mitochondria-related apoptotic pathway, characterized by an increased ratio of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members to anti-apoptotic members.