Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. We have previously reported that LASP-1 is a downstream protein of the urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA). Here we investigated the role of LASP-1 in HCC by a molecular and biological characterization of LASP-1 expression in human HCC specimens and in cultured HCC cells. We determined the LASP-1 mRNA expression levels in 55 HCC cases with different hepatic background disease. We identified 3 groups of patients with high, equal or low LASP-1 mRNA levels in HCC tissues compared to the peritumoral (PT) tissues. In particular we found that i) the HCCs displayed a higher LASP-1 mRNA level in HCC compared to PT tissues; ii) the expression levels of LASP-1 mRNA in female HCCs were significantly higher compared to male HCCs; iii) the cirrhotic HCCs displayed a higher LASP-1 mRNA. Further, the biological characterization of the ectopic LASP-1 overexpression in HCC cells, using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer on the LASP-1 co-immunoprecipitated fractions, displayed vimentin as a novel putative partner of LASP-1. Our results suggest that LASP-1 mRNA overexpression may be mainly implicated in female HCCs and cirrhotic HCCs; and that LASP1 may play its role with vimentin in HCC cells.

Dental agenesis is one of the most common congenital craniofacial abnormalities. Dental agenesis can be classified, relative to the number of missing teeth (excluding third molars), as hypodontia (1 to 5 missing teeth), oligodontia (6 or more missing teeth), or anodontia (lack of all teeth). Tooth agenesis may occur either in association with genetic syndromes, based on the presence of other inherited abnormalities, or as a non-syndromic trait, with both familiar and sporadic cases reported. In this study, we enrolled 16 individuals affected by tooth agenesis, prevalently hypodontia, and we carried out direct Sanger sequencing of paired box 9 (PAX9) and Msh homeobox 1 (MSX1) genes in 9 subjects. Since no mutations were identified, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) in the members of 5 families to identify causative gene mutations either novel or previously described. Three individuals carried a known homozygous disease mutation in the Wnt family member 10A (WNT10A) gene (rs121908120). Interestingly, two of these individuals were siblings and also carried a heterozygous functional variant in EDAR-associated death domain (EDARADD) (rs114632254), another disease causing gene, generating a combination of genetic variants never described until now. The analysis of exome sequencing data in the members of other 3 families highlighted new candidate genes potentially involved in tooth agenesis and considered suitable for future studies. Overall, our study confirmed the major role played by WNT10A in tooth agenesis and the genetic heterogeneity of this disease. Moreover, as more genes are shown to be involved in tooth agenesis, WES analysis may be an effective approach to search for genetic variants in familiar or sporadic tooth agenesis, at least in more severe clinical manifestations.