Tumor-stromal interaction is a dynamic process that promotes tumor growth and metastasis via cell-cell interaction and extracellular vesicles. Recent studies demonstrate that stromal fibroblast-derived molecular signatures can be used to predict disease progression and drug resistance. To identify the epigenetic role of stromal noncoding RNAs in tumor-stromal interactions in the tumor microenvironment, we performed microRNA profiling of patient cancer-associated prostate stromal fibroblasts isolated by laser capture dissection microscopy and in bone-associated stromal models. We found specific upregulation of miR-409-3p and miR-409-5p located within the embryonically and developmentally regulated DLK1-DIO3 (delta-like 1 homolog-deiodinase, iodothyronine 3) cluster on human chromosome 14. The findings in cell lines were further validated in human prostate cancer tissues. Strikingly, ectopic expression of miR-409 in normal prostate fibroblasts conferred a cancer-associated stroma-like phenotype and led to the release of miR-409 via extracellular vesicles to promote tumor induction and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in vitro and in vivo. miR-409 promoted tumorigenesis through repression of tumor suppressor genes such as Ras suppressor 1 and stromal antigen 2. Thus, stromal fibroblasts derived miR-409-induced tumorigenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness of the epithelial cancer cells in vivo. Therefore, miR-409 appears to be an attractive therapeutic target to block the vicious cycle of tumor-stromal interactions that plagues prostate cancer patients.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are one of the most crucial topics in rare cell biology and have become the focus of a significant and emerging area of cancer research. While CTC enumeration is a valid biomarker in prostate cancer, the current FDA-approved CTC technology is unable to detect CTCs in a large portion of late stage prostate cancer patients. Here we introduce the NanoVelcro CTC Chip, a device composed of a patterned silicon nanowire substrate (SiNW) and an overlaid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chaotic mixer. Validated by two institutions participating in the study, the NanoVelcro Chip assay exhibits very consistent efficiency in CTC-capture from patient samples. The utilized protocol can be easily replicated at different facilities. We demonstrate the clinical utility of the NanoVelcro Chip by performing serial enumerations of CTCs in prostate cancer patients after undergoing systemic therapy. Changes in CTC numbers after 4–10 weeks of therapy were compared with their clinical responses. We observed a statistically significant reduction in CTCs counts in the clinical responders. We performed long-term follow up with serial CTC collection and enumeration in one patient observing variations in counts correlating with treatment response. This study demonstrates the consistency of the NanoVelcro Chip assay over time for CTC enumeration and also shows that continuous monitoring of CTC numbers can be employed to follow responses to different treatments and monitor disease progression.

Purpose miR-409-3p/-5p is a microRNA expressed by embryonic stem cells and its role in cancer biology and metastasis is unknown. Our pilot studies demonstrated elevated miR-409-3p/-5p expression in human prostate cancer bone metastatic cell lines, therefore we defined the biological impact of manipulation of miR-409-3p/-5p in prostate cancer progression and correlated the levels of its expression with clinical human prostate cancer bone metastatic specimens. Experimental Design miRNA profiling of prostate cancer bone metastatic EMT cell line model was performed. Gleason score human tissue array was probed for validation of specific miRNAs. Additionally, genetic manipulation of miR-409-3p/-5p was performed to determine its role in tumor growth, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and bone metastasis in mouse models. Results Elevated expression of miR-409-3p/-5p was observed in bone metastatic prostate cancer cell lines and human prostate cancer tissues with higher Gleason scores. Elevated miR-409-3p expression levels correlated with prostate cancer patient progression free survival. Orthotopic delivery of miR-409-3p/-5p in the murine prostate gland induced tumors where the tumors expressed, EMT and stemness markers. Intracardiac inoculation (to mimic systemic dissemination) of miR-409-5p inhibitor treated bone metastatic ARCaPM prostate cancer cells in mice, led to decreased bone metastasis and increased survival compared to control vehicle-treated cells. Conclusion miR-409-3p/-5p plays an important role in prostate cancer biology by facilitating tumor growth, EMT and bone metastasis. This finding bear’s particular translational importance since miR-409-3p/-5p appears to be an attractive biomarker and/or possibly a therapeutic target to treat bones metastatic prostate cancer.

Background While enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has shown some clinical value, the pool of CTCs contains a mixture of cells which contains additional information that can be extracted. Our group sub-classified CTCs by shape features focusing on nuclear size and related this to clinical information. Methods A total of 148 blood samples were obtained from 57 PC patients across the spectrum of metastatic states: no metastasis, non-visceral metastasis, and visceral metastasis. CTCs captured and enumerated on NanoVelcro Chips were subjected to pathologic review including nuclear size. The distribution of nuclear sizes was analyzed using a Gaussian Mixture Model. Correlations were made between CTC subpopulations and metastatic status. Results Statistical modeling of nuclear size distribution revealed 3 distinct subpopulations: large-nuclear (lnCTC), small-nuclear (snCTC), and very-small-nuclear CTCs (vsnCTCs). snCTC + vsnCTC identified patients with metastatic disease. vsnCTC counts alone, however, were elevated in patients with visceral metastases when compared to those without (0.36 ± 0.69 vs. 1.95 ± 3.77 cells/mL blood, p < 0.001). Serial enumerations suggested the emergence of vsnCTCs occurred prior to the detection of visceral metastases. Conclusions There are morphologic subsets of CTCs that can be identified by fundamental pathologic approaches, such as nuclear size measurement. This observational study strongly suggests that they contain relevant information on disease status. In particular, the detection of vsnCTCs correlated with the presence of visceral metastases and should be formally explored as a putative blood-borne biomarker to identify patients at risk for developing this clinical evolution of PC.

Purpose MicroRNAs in the delta-like 1 homolog - deiodinase, iodothyronine 3 (DLK1-DIO3) cluster have been shown to be critical for embryonic development and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). DLK1-DIO3 cluster miRNAs are elevated in the serum of metastatic cancer patients. However, the biological functions of these miRNAs in the EMT and metastasis of cancer cells are poorly understood. We previously demonstrated the oncogenic and metastatic role of miR-409-3p/5p, a member of this cluster, in prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we defined the role of miR-154* and miR-379, two key members of this cluster, in PCa progression and bone metastasis in both cell line models and clinical specimens. Experimental design Genetic manipulation of miR-154* and miR-379 was performed to determine their role in tumor growth, EMT and bone metastasis in mouse models. We determined the expression of miR-154* in prostate cancer clinical samples and bone metastasis samples using in situ hybridization and quantum dot labeling. Results Elevated expression of miR-154* and miR-379 was observed in bone metastatic PCa cell lines and tissues, and miR-379 expression correlated with PCa patient progression-free survival. Intracardiac inoculation (to mimic systemic dissemination) of miR-154* inhibitor-treated bone metastatic ARCaPM PCa cells in mice led to decreased bone metastasis and increased survival. Conclusion miR-154* and miR-379 play important roles in PCa biology by facilitating tumor growth, EMT and bone metastasis. This finding has particular translational importance since miRNAs in the DLK1-DIO3 cluster can be attractive biomarkers and possible therapeutic targets to treat bone metastatic PCa.