Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most prevalent kidney cancer and its molecular pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Here we report an integrated molecular study of ccRCC in which ≥100 ccRCC cases were fully analyzed by whole-genome and/or whole-exome and RNA sequencing as well as by array-based gene expression, copy number and/or methylation analyses. We identified a full spectrum of genetic lesions and analyzed gene expression and DNA methylation signatures and determined their impact on tumor behavior. Defective VHL-mediated proteolysis was a common feature of ccRCC, which was caused not only by VHL inactivation but also by new hotspot TCEB1 mutations, which abolished Elongin C-VHL binding, leading to HIF accumulation. Other newly identified pathways and components recurrently mutated in ccRCC included PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, the KEAP1-NRF2-CUL3 apparatus, DNA methylation, p53-related pathways and mRNA processing. This integrated molecular analysis unmasked new correlations between DNA methylation, gene mutation and/or gene expression and copy number profiles, enabling the stratification of clinical risks for patients with ccRCC.
We associated environmental and genetic factors with base substitution patterns of somatic mutations and provide a registry of genes and pathways that are disrupted in ESCCs. These findings might be used to design specific treatments for patients with esophageal squamous cancers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.