• BMB Reports
• /
• 제51권9호
• /
• pp.437-443
• /
• 2018

Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), and to a lesser extent, the error-free pathway known as homology-directed repair (HDR) are cellular mechanisms for recovery from double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) induced by RNA-guided programmable nuclease CRISPR/Cas. Since NHEJ is equivalent to using a duck tape to stick two pieces of metals together, the outcome of this repair mechanism is prone to error. Any out-of-frame mutations or premature stop codons resulting from NHEJ repair mechanism are extremely handy for loss-of-function studies. Substitution of a mutation on the genome with the correct exogenous repair DNA requires coordination via an error-free HDR, for targeted transgenesis. However, several practical limitations exist in harnessing the potential of HDR to replace a faulty mutation for therapeutic purposes in all cell types and more so in somatic cells. In germ cells after the DSB, copying occurs from the homologous chromosome, which increases the chances of incorporation of exogenous DNA with some degree of homology into the genome compared with somatic cells where copying from the identical sister chromatid is always preferred. This review summarizes several strategies that have been implemented to increase the frequency of HDR with a focus on somatic cells. It also highlights the limitations of this technology in gene therapy and suggests specific solutions to circumvent those barriers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제13권8호
• /
• pp.4183-4186
• /
• 2012

Background: Ovarian cancer is the number one killer among all the gynecological cancers. We undertook association study to identify potential alterations in the genomic DNA of a DNA repair gene, DNA polymerase beta ($pol{\beta}$), involved in base excision repair (BER), in ovarian carcinomas of patients from Haldia, India. Mutations, splice variants have been reported earlier in different tumors other than ovarian tumors. Aim: In this study we explored the possibility of association of any mutation of $pol{\beta}$ (Exon 8) with prognosis in 152 ovarian cancer samples. Results: Alteration in the exon 8 region (Exon 8:468, $A{\rightarrow}C$; 15.1%) was noted among fifty seven polymorphism positive samples. Alteration in the intervening sequence 8 (IVS8, -25, $A{\rightarrow}C$; 3.9%) was also noted. All alterations are heterozygous in nature. Conclusions: We found no significant association among the samples from serous type, stage IV, and the $pol{\beta}$ mutations ($P{\leq}0.01$). Only a slight tendency of association was evident between IVS8, -25, A to C; and stage III. Further analysis with a larger number of samples is needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제15권24호
• /
• pp.10627-10630
• /
• 2015

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations play a vital role in the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Such somatic mutations are more common in women who are non-smokers with adenocarcinoma and are of Asian origin. However, to our knowledge, there are few studies that have focused on men. Materials and Methods: One hundred and eighty-four consecutive patients (90 men and 94 women) of resected lung adenocarcinoma were studied retrospectively. Results: EGFR mutations were positive in 48.9% and negative (wild type) in 51.1%. Overall mutation was significant in women (66.0% vs. 32.2%) compared with men (p<0.001). For overall patients, EGFR mutation status was associated with gender, pStage, pT status, lepidic dominant histologic subtype, pure or mixed ground-glass nodule type on computed tomography and smoking status. However, in men, EGFR mutation status was only associated with lepidic dominant histologic subtype and not the other variables. Interestingly, the Brinkman index of men with mutant EGFR also did not differ from that for the wild type ($680.0{\pm}619.3$ vs. $813.1{\pm}552.1$ p=0.1077). Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of men with lung adenocarcinoma related to EGFR mutation are not always similar to that of overall patients. Especially we failed to find the relationship between EGFR mutations and smoking status in men.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권9호
• /
• pp.5067-5072
• /
• 2013

Background: The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a significant role in apoptosis, cellular proliferation and motility. The aim of the present study was to analyze mutations and gene expression profiles of the PI3KCA gene to determine any role in breast carcinomas. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 38 breast cancers for mutations in the two PIK3CA hotspots in exons 9 and 20 by direct sequencing of DNA obtained from biopsy samples. We have also analyzed expression of the PI3KCA gene in 38 breast carcinoma tumor and corresponding control tissue samples at the mRNA level by RT-PCR. The Fisher's exact test ($2{\times}2$ only) was performed using MedCalc software for to examine associations with mRNA levels. Results: In the present study a total of 13 cases demonstrated somatic mutations. In 9/13 cases 1633 G>A (E545K) were found in exon 9, whereas in exon 20, 4/13 cases had 3140A>G mutation. Our combined analysis showed PI3KCA mutations present in 34% of human breast cancer patients. In our study, we have also clearly found significantly higher expression in breast cancer tissues in comparison with control tissues (p=0.001). Conclusions: PIK3CA mutation is an emerging tumor marker that, in the future, might be used in the process of choosing a treatment. The detection of PI3KCA mutation might have important clinical implications for diagnosis, progression and therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제17권12호
• /
• pp.5147-5152
• /
• 2016

Background: Investigations of methods for detection of mutations have uncovered major weaknesses of direct sequencing and pyrosequencing, with their high costs and low sensitivity in screening for both known and unknown mutations. High resolution melting (HRM) analysis is an alternative tool for the rapid detection of mutations. Here we describe the accuracy of HRM in screening for KRAS and BRAF mutations in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRCs) samples. Materials and Methods: A total of 1000 mCRC patients in Mehr Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from Feb 2008 to May 2012 were examined for KRAS mutations and 242 of them were selected for further assessment of BRAF mutations by HRM analysis. In order to calculate the sensitivity and specificity, HRM results were checked by pyrosequencing as the golden standard and Dxs Therascreen as a further method. Results: In the total of 1,000 participants, there were 664 (66.4%) with wild type and 336 (33.6%) with mutant codons 12 and/or 13 of the KRAS gene. Among 242 samples randomly checked for the BRAF gene, all were wild type by HRM. Pyrosequencing and Dxs Therascreen results were in line with those of the HRM. In this regard, the sensitivity and specificity of HRM were evaluated as 100%. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the HRM, in comparison with DNA sequencing, is a more appropriate method for precise scanning of KRAS and BRAF mutations. It is also possible to state that HRM may be an attractive technique for the detection of known or unknown somatic mutations in other genes.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• 제22권12호
• /
• pp.1996-2005
• /
• 2021

Objective: To investigate the multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) features of fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-deficient RCC) with germline or somatic mutations, and compare them with those of papillary type II RCC (pRCC type II). Materials and Methods: A total of 24 patients (mean ± standard deviation, 40.4 ± 14.7 years) with pathologically confirmed FH-deficient RCC (15 with germline and 9 with somatic mutations) and 54 patients (58.6 ± 12.6 years) with pRCC type II were enrolled. The MDCT features were retrospectively reviewed and compared between the two entities and mutation subgroups, and were correlated with the clinicopathological findings. Results: All the lesions were unilateral and single. Compared with pRCC type II, FH-deficient RCC was more prevalent among younger patients (40.4 ± 14.7 vs. 58.6 ± 12.6, p < 0.001) and tended to be larger (8.1 ± 4.1 vs. 5.4 ± 3.2, p = 0.002). Cystic solid patterns were more common in FH-deficient RCC (20/24 vs. 16/54, p < 0.001), with 16 of the 20 (80.0%) cystic solid tumors having showed typical polycystic and thin smooth walls and/or septa, with an eccentric solid component. Lymph node (16/24 vs. 16/54, p = 0.003) and distant (11/24 vs. 3/54, p < 0.001) metastases were more frequent in FH-deficient RCC. FH-deficient RCC and pRCC type II showed similar attenuation in the unenhanced phase. The attenuation in the corticomedullary phase (CMP) (76.3% ± 25.0% vs. 60.2 ± 23.6, p = 0.008) and nephrographic phase (NP) (87.7 ± 20.5, vs. 71.2 ± 23.9, p = 0.004), absolute enhancement in CMP (39.0 ± 24.8 vs. 27.1 ± 22.7, p = 0.001) and NP (50.5 ± 20.5 vs. 38.2 ± 21.9, p = 0.001), and relative enhancement ratio to the renal cortex in CMP (0.35 ± 0.26 vs. 0.24 ± 0.19, p = 0.001) and NP (0.43 ± 0.24 vs. 0.29 ± 0.19, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in FH-deficient RCC. No significant difference was found between the FH germline and somatic mutation subgroups in any of the parameters. Conclusion: The MDCT features of FH-deficient RCC were different from those of pRCC type II, whereas there was no statistical difference between the germline and somatic mutation subgroups. A kidney mass with a cystic solid pattern and metastatic tendency, especially in young patients, should be considered for FH-deficient RCC.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• 제13권3호
• /
• pp.161-167
• /
• 1981

자주달개비(Tradescantia) BNL clone 4430을 본 연구소 감마농장(${\gamma}$-field)에 거리별로 배치하고 ${\gamma}$-선을 3.6mR/day~182R/day의 선량율로 완조사시켜, 이 식물의 수술털에 나타나는 분홍색 체세포돌연변이를 대상으로 돌연변이의 출현율을 조사하는 한편 화기에 미치는 형태변화를 조사하였다. 분홍색 체세포돌연변이율은 22.2R/day의 선량율에서 수술털 1,000개당 85.81$\pm$6.45개로 가장 높았고, 이보다 높은 선량율에서는 오히려 변이율이 감소하여 포화선량효과를 초래하였다. 또한 3.6mR/day의 낮은 선량율체서도 이 체세포돌연변이율이 자연돌연변이율보다 증가하였음을 볼 수 있었으며 비교적 낮은 선량율 조사에서는 꽃, 수술, 수술털등의 형태적 변화가 없이 돌연 변이율만의 증가를 볼수가 있어 감마농장내에서 과수나 화목등 영년식물에 저선량의 완조사를 통해 체세포돌연변이의 유기가 가능할것으로 보이며, 한편 이 식물의 특성을 이용하여 저위 방사선에 의한 유전적변화를 탐지하는데에도 적절한 수단이 될 것 같다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제14권1호
• /
• pp.329-332
• /
• 2013

Background: The study aimed to determine the incidence of K-ras and BRAF mutations in colorectal cancers (CRCs) in Thai patients and evaluate association with clinicopathological parameters including treatment outcomes in terms of event free survival (EFS). Materials and Methods: Two-hundred colorectal cancer specimens were collected for studies of K-Ras codon 12, 13 and 61, and BRAF codon 600 by polymerase chain reaction and direct nucleotide sequencing. Results: The overall incidence of K-Ras mutations in our patients was 23%. K-ras mutation frequencies in CRC stages (AJCC) I, II, III and IV were 6.7%, 16.1%, 23.3% and 26.6%, respectively (p-value>0.05). The three most common mutation forms were G12D, G12V and G13D. K-Ras mutation status was associated with poorer EFS in stage I-III CRCs (p-value 0.03). Conclusions: The study found a lower mutation frequency of K-Ras and BRAF compared to reports involving other ethnic groups. However, K-Ras mutations did have a negative prognostic value in early-stage CRCs.

• Genomics & Informatics
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.78-84
• /
• 2016

Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (NKTCL), is a malignant disorder of cytotoxic lymphocytes of NK or T cells. It is an aggressive neoplasm with a very poor prognosis. Although extranodal NKTCL reportedly has a strong association with Epstein-Barr virus, the molecular pathogenesis of NKTCL has been unexplored. The recent technological advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) have made DNA sequencing cost- and time-effective, with more reliable results. Using the Ion Proton Comprehensive Cancer Panel, we sequenced 409 cancer-related genes to identify somatic mutations in five NKTCL tissue samples. The sequencing analysis detected 25 mutations in 21 genes. Among them, KMT2D, a histone modification-related gene, was the most frequently mutated gene (four of the five cases). This result was consistent with recent NGS studies that have suggested KMT2D as a novel driver gene in NKTCL. Mutations were also found in ARID1A, a chromatin remodeling gene, and TP53, which also recurred in recent NGS studies. We also found mutations in 18 novel candidate genes, with molecular functions that were potentially implicated in cancer development. We suggest that these genes may result in multiple oncogenic events and may be used as potential bio-markers of NKTCL in the future.

• 약학회지
• /
• 제38권3호
• /
• pp.332-337
• /
• 1994

Using germinal and somatic cell mutation assaying systems of Drosophila melanogaster, effects of Ginseng and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts on the in vivo mutagenicity induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) were investigated. For these purpose, the attached-X method and the mwh/flr spot test system which are an X-linked lethal mutation and a somatic chromosome mutation assaying system, respectively, were used. In the induction of X-linked lethal mutations during the spermatogenesis, MNNG showed more actions in the sperm and spermatid stages, in which Ginseng and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts had remarkable inhibitory effects than other stages. Ginseng and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts reduced the mutagenicity by MNNG in the mwh/flr system, which reveal that they can inhibit gene mutation, deletion and mitotic chromosomal recombination. These results seem to suggest that Ginseng and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts may exert their inhibitory effects to in vivo mutagenic and/or carcinogenic properties of DNA-damaging agents.