Journal Article

A combined ANXA2-NDRG1-STAT1 gene signature predicts response to chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer

Ferrandina, Gabriella, Babini, Gabriele, Scambia, Giovanni, Battaglia, Alessandra, Marino, Carmela, Buttarelli, Marianna, Mancuso, Mariateresa, D’Ambrosio, Chiara, Saran, Anna, Desiderio, Angiola, Petrillo, Marco, Ciucci, Alessandra, Villani, Maria Elena, Scaloni, Andrea, Filippetti, Flavia, Gallo, Daniela, Raspaglio, Giuseppina

2019

Overview

Background A better understanding of locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) is mandatory for further improving the rates of disease control, since a significant proportion of patients still fail to respond or undergo relapse after concurrent chemoradiation treatment (CRT), and survival for these patients has generally remained poor. Methods To identify specific markers of CRT response, we compared pretreatment biopsies from LACC patients with pathological complete response (sensitive) with those from patients showing macroscopic residual tumor (resistant) after neoadjuvant CRT, using a proteomic approach integrated with gene expression profiling. The study of the underpinning mechanisms of chemoradiation response was carried out through in vitro models of cervical cancer. Results We identified annexin A2 (ANXA2), N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) as biomarkers of LACC patients’ responsiveness to CRT. The dataset collected through qPCR on these genes was used as training dataset to implement a Random Forest algorithm able to predict the response of new patients to this treatment. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated the key role of the identified genes in the balance between death and survival of tumor cells. Conclusions Our results define a predictive gene signature that can help in cervical cancer patient stratification, thus providing a useful tool towards more personalized treatment modalities.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Aged / Algorithms / Annexin A2 - genetics / Annexin A2 - metabolism / Annexins / Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use / Apoptosis / Biochemistry / Biological markers / Biomarkers, Tumor / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedicine / Cancer genetics / Cancer Research / Cancer treatment / Care and treatment / Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics / Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism / Cervical cancer / Cervix / Chemoradiotherapy / Chemotherapy / Cisplatin - therapeutic use / Criminal investigation / Female / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Genes / Genetic aspects / Humans / Immunology / Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics / Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism / LACC / Medical research / Middle Aged / Molecular biomarkers / Neoadjuvant Therapy / Oncology / Personalized medicine / Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 - metabolism / Proteomics / Radiation Tolerance / Radiotherapy / STAT1 Transcription Factor - genetics / STAT1 Transcription Factor - metabolism / Therapeutics / Transcription (Genetics) / Transcriptome / Tumors / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - genetics / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - metabolism / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - pathology / Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - therapy / Young Adult