Deletion of Rb accelerates pancreatic carcinogenesis by oncogenic Kras and impairs senescence in premalignant lesions.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Rb1 encodes a cell-cycle regulator that is functionally disrupted in most human cancers. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) have a high frequency of mutations in KRAS and INK4A/CDKN2A that might allow cells to bypass the regulatory actions of retinoblastoma (RB). To determine the role of loss of RB function in PDAC progression, we investigated the effects of Rb disruption during pancreatic malignant transformation initiated by oncogenic Kras. METHODS: We generated mice with pancreas-specific disruption of Rb, in the absence or presence of oncogenic Kras, to examine the role of RB in pancreatic carcinogenesis. RESULTS: In the presence of oncogenic Kras, loss of Rb from the pancreatic epithelium accelerated formation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), increased the frequency of cystic neoplasms, and promoted rapid progression toward PDAC. Early stage cancers were characterized by acute pancreatic inflammation, associated with up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines within the pancreas. Despite the presence of markers associated with oncogene-induced senescence, low-grade PanIN were highly proliferative and expressed high levels of p53. Pancreatic cancer cell lines derived from these mice expressed high levels of cytokines, and transcriptional activity of p53 was impaired. CONCLUSIONS: Rb encodes a tumor suppressor that attenuates progression of oncogenic Kras-induced carcinogenesis in the pancreas by mediating the senescence response and promoting activity of the tumor suppressor p53.

The elevated expression of a mismatch repair protein is a predictor for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: The inability to predict clinical outcome of prostate cancer is a major impediment to effective treatment decisions and patient counseling. New markers of recurrence are needed to improve the accuracy of risk assessment and treatment of prostate cancer. Our previous studies identified a mismatch repair protein, PMS2, to be elevated in prostate cancer; here, we investigate the prognostic potential of this marker. We hypothesized that the elevation of PMS2 would correlate with disease outcome. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Retrospective quantitative immunohistochemistry was done to measure PMS2 in high-grade cancers of 166 men treated by radical prostatectomy with a biochemical recurrence rate of 56%. Associations between PMS2 levels, pathologic variables, and biochemical recurrence over time were determined. RESULTS: The mean level of PMS2 protein was consistently higher in both cancer-associated benign epithelium and cancer cells of patients who recurred, compared with nonrecurrent patients. PMS2 was an independent predictor of time-to-recurrence in Cox multivariate analyses and significantly stratified patients based on outcome. PMS2 was able to improve the sensitivity of total percent Gleason 4/5 as a risk factor for recurrence in this cohort. CONCLUSIONS: PMS2 protein levels were shown to be a predictor of time-to-recurrence after surgery. This study is the first to document that the elevation of a mismatch repair protein negatively correlates with prognosis and has implications in patient diagnosis and molecular profiling.

Elevated levels of the mismatch repair protein PMS2 are associated with prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Defects in mismatch repair (MMR) proteins have been identified in various types of cancer. However, an association with prostate cancer has been controversial. Defective MMR results in genome instability with detrimental consequences that significantly contribute to tumorigenesis. This study determined alterations in key MMR protein levels in prostate cancer with the goal to identify prognostic markers. METHODS: Prostatectomy samples were immunohistochemically stained and the relative presence or absence of key proteins MSH2, MLH1, and PMS2 determined. Cancer tissue of distinct grades was compared with the normal surrounding tissue. Microsatellite instability (MSI) in altered tissues was determined according to NCI guidelines. RESULTS: In contrast to reports that associate a lack of individual MMR proteins with tumorigenesis, a significant increase in PMS2 levels was identified in PIN lesions and prostate cancer tissue. This elevation in PMS2 was independent of changes in levels in its heterodimeric partner, MLH1. Prostate tumors with elevated levels of PMS2 were genetically unstable, which was corrected by MLH1 co-elevation. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first documentation of detrimental consequences associated with the increase in a MMR protein in human cancer. This study recognizes PMS2 elevation as a prognostic marker in pre-neoplastic and prostate cancer lesions. This result has significant implications for future diagnostic and treatment measures.