Metabolomics of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Tissues: Potential Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Promising Targets for Therapy

Abstract

Background. The incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in China ranks first in the world. The early diagnosis technology is underdeveloped, and the prognosis is poor, which seriously threatens the quality of life of the Chinese people. Epidemiological findings are related to factors such as diet, living habits, and age. The specific mechanism is not clear yet. Metabolomics is a kind of omics that simultaneously and quantitatively analyzes the comprehensive profile of metabolites in living systems. It has unique advantages in the study of the diagnosis and pathogenesis of tumor-related diseases, especially in the search for biomarkers. Therefore, it is desirable to perform metabolic profiling analysis of cancer tissues through metabolomics to find potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods. HPLC-TOF-MS/MS technology and Illumina Hiseq Xten Sequencing was used for the analysis of 210 pairs of matched esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and normal tissues in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, a high-incidence area of esophageal cancer in China. Bioinformatics analysis was also performed. Results. Through metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis, this study found that a total of 269 differential metabolites were obtained in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and normal tissues, and 48 differential metabolic pathways were obtained through KEGG enrichment analysis. After further screening and identification, 12 metabolites with potential biomarkers to differentiate esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from normal tissues were obtained. Conclusions. From the metabolomic data, 4 unknown compounds were found to be abnormally expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma for the first time, such as 9,10-epoxy-12,15-octadecadienoate; 3 metabolites were found in multiple abnormal expression in another tumor, but upregulation or downregulation was found for the first time in esophageal cancer, such as oleoyl glycine; at the same time, it was further confirmed that five metabolites were abnormally expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, which was similar to the results of other studies, such as PE.

Novel milestones for early esophageal carcinoma: From bench to bed

“…Therefore, metabolomics could generate clear biochemical information on disease mechanisms, thereby offering novel insights into cell signaling pathways affected by diseases and presenting new opportunities for the advancement of diagnostic indicators and therapeutics[ 35 ].…”

Clinical Correlation of Transcription Factor SOX3 in Cancer: Unveiling Its Role in Tumorigenesis

“…Esophageal cancer, originating in the esophageal epithelium, poses a significant challenge due to low cure rates, especially with late diagnosis [68]. This malignancy is often linked to specific genetic alterations, including mutations in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene, alterations in the CDKN2A gene, and amplifications of the ERBB2 (HER2) oncogene, among others.…”

“…This malignancy is often linked to specific genetic alterations, including mutations in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene, alterations in the CDKN2A gene, and amplifications of the ERBB2 (HER2) oncogene, among others. In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), notable elevations in SOX3 expression were observed compared to non-neoplastic samples [68] (Table 1).…”

Clinical Correlation of Transcription Factor SOX3 in Cancer: Unveiling Its Role in Tumorigenesis

“…Esophageal cancer, originating in the esophageal epithelium, poses a significant challenge due to low cure rates, especially with late diagnosis [ 92 ]. This malignancy is often linked to specific genetic alterations, including mutations in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene, alterations in the CDKN2A gene, and amplifications of the ERBB2 (HER2) oncogene, among others.…”