Deletion or silencing of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) through genetic or epigenetic events has been found to play an important role in the development of different cancers. Early studies suggest that frequent silencing of TSG through promoter hypermethylation in bladder Urothelial Cell Carcinomas (UCC) represent novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Here we propose to further elucidate the bladder cancer methylome and thereby identify novel methylated genes as markers for early detection, prognostic classification, and predictive classification of response to therapy of urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder (UCC). Since we have reported a role for methylated genes in the development of cisplatin resistance, we will also identify genes that are related to cisplatin response and silenced by promoter hypermethylation in UCC. We are proposing three specific aims:
In Specific Aim 1, an integrated screening approach will be undertaken to further identify novel tumor-specific genes silenced by promoter hypermethylation in 5 UCC cell lines.
Specific Aim 2 We will test multiple promoter hypermethylation markers for UCC in various tissues and bodily fluids from patients with and without disease to establish simple sensitivity and specificity estimates. Finally, in Specific Aim 3 we will examine the functional significance and clinical relevance of the novel genes in primary tumors for future prevention approaches. A comprehensive approach consisting of expression array hybridization and pharmacological unmasking strategies, and the Infinium Methylation Assay will be taken to identify common epigenetic alterations in bladder tumor evolution. In vitro and in vivo characterization of identified genes which are inactivated by promoter hypermethylation will help us understand their impact on UCC development, role in cancer progression and biological role in drug resistance. Ultimately, identified bladder cancer specific methylation markers will be used as markers for non-invasive molecular detection approaches, prognostic markers for PT1 tumors, determination of platinum response and as novel targets for therapeutic prevention.

Public Health Relevance

We aim to completely unravel the bladder cancer methylome and use methylated genes for translational approaches to overcome important clinical problems. With new sensitive techniques detection of methylated targets is rapid and robust and testing of well annotated clinical samples will validate the clinical use of this newly identified gene markers.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA163594-02
Application #
8495291
Study Section
Cancer Biomarkers Study Section (CBSS)
Program Officer
Mckee, Tawnya C
Project Start
2012-07-01
Project End
2017-04-30
Budget Start
2013-05-01
Budget End
2014-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$315,981
Indirect Cost
$120,931
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Otolaryngology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218
Ooki, Akira; Del Carmen Rodriguez Pena, Maria; Marchionni, Luigi et al. (2018) YAP1 and COX2 Coordinately Regulate Urothelial Cancer Stem-like Cells. Cancer Res 78:168-181
Hoque, Mohammad Obaidul (2018) Differences in the Molecular Characteristics of Bladder Cancer between Smokers and Nonsmokers. Eur Urol Focus 4:98-99
Izumchenko, E; Paz, K; Ciznadija, D et al. (2017) Patient-derived xenografts effectively capture responses to oncology therapy in a heterogeneous cohort of patients with solid tumors. Ann Oncol 28:2595-2605
Lee, Juna; Wysocki, Piotr T; Topaloglu, Ozlem et al. (2015) Epigenetic silencing of S100A2 in bladder and head and neck cancers. Oncoscience 2:410-8
Michailidi, Christina; Hayashi, Masamichi; Datta, Sayantan et al. (2015) Involvement of epigenetics and EMT-related miRNA in arsenic-induced neoplastic transformation and their potential clinical use. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 8:208-21
Hayashi, Masamichi; Bernert, Heike; Kagohara, Luciane Tsukamoto et al. (2014) Epigenetic inactivation of VGF associated with Urothelial Cell Carcinoma and its potential as a non-invasive biomarker using urine. Oncotarget 5:3350-61
Maldonado, Leonel; Brait, Mariana; Michailidi, Christina et al. (2014) An epigenetic marker panel for recurrence risk prediction of low grade papillary urothelial cell carcinoma (LGPUCC) and its potential use for surveillance after transurethral resection using urine. Oncotarget 5:5218-33
Brait, Mariana; Munari, Enrico; LeBron, Cynthia et al. (2013) Genome-wide methylation profiling and the PI3K-AKT pathway analysis associated with smoking in urothelial cell carcinoma. Cell Cycle 12:1058-70
Zhong, Xiaoli; Isharwal, Sumit; Naples, Jean M et al. (2013) Hypermethylation of genes detected in urine from Ghanaian adults with bladder pathology associated with Schistosoma haematobium infection. PLoS One 8:e59089
Taube, Janis M; Anders, Robert A; Young, Geoffrey D et al. (2012) Colocalization of inflammatory response with B7-h1 expression in human melanocytic lesions supports an adaptive resistance mechanism of immune escape. Sci Transl Med 4:127ra37