A New Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer
WASHINGTON, December 18, 2019 (Newswire.com) - An article published in Experimental Biology and Medicine (Volume 244, Issue 16, November, 2019) (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1535370219883408) describes a new biomarker that may improve the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. The study, led by Drs. Jun Zhou and Jian Geng in the Pathology Department of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou (China), reports that proteasome activator complex subunit 3 (PSME3) expression in colorectal cancer is associated with decreased overall survival in patients and reduced sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to radiotherapy.
Globally, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the second in women. Treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer, and include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Drug- and radiation-resistance are the main causes of treatment failure for patients. Thus, the identification of new biomarkers for predicting prognosis and treatment outcome is a high priority. Overexpression of PSME3 occurs in numerous human malignancies including colorectal cancer, and PSME3 depletion enhances sensitivity to radiation in some cancers. However, the impact of PSME3 on radiation sensitivity in colorectal cancer is not known.
In the current study, Dr. Zhou and colleagues examined the contribution of PSME3 to colorectal cancer. PSME3 expression was upregulated in colorectal cancer specimens and predictive of poor survival in patients. PSME3 promoted the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells. Finally, decreased PSME3 expression enhanced the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to radiation. Dr. Geng said, "The results of this study suggest that patients with high expression of PSME3 may have a worse prognosis, and may not be sensitive to radiotherapy.” Dr. Zhou added that “Based on our research, further verification and validation studies of PSME3 function/inhibition could lead to improved radiosensitivity and clinical benefit for patients.”
Dr. Steven R. Goodman, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Biology & Medicine, said, “Zhou and colleagues have provided an important study suggesting that proteasome activator complex subunit 3 (PSME3) deserves further research as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.”
Experimental Biology and Medicine is a global journal dedicated to the publication of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the biomedical sciences. The journal was first established in 1903. Experimental Biology and Medicine is the journal of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine. To learn about the benefits of society membership, visit www.sebm.org. For anyone interested in publishing in the journal, please visit http://ebm.sagepub.com.
Source: Experimental Biology and Medicine
