SUMMARY While chromosomal rearrangements fusing the androgen-regulated gene TMPRSS2 to the oncogenic ETS transcription factor ERG occur in approximately 50% of prostate cancers, how the fusion products regulate prostate cancer remains unclear. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-Seq), we found that ERG disrupts androgen receptor (AR) signaling by inhibiting AR expression, binding to and inhibiting AR activity at gene-specific loci, and inducing repressive epigenetic programs via direct activation of the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2, a Polycomb group protein. These findings provide a working model in which TMPRSS2-ERG plays a critical role in cancer progression by disrupting lineage-specific differentiation of the prostate and potentiating the EZH2-mediated de-differentiation program.

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Background: The molecular drivers of human papillomavirus-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HPV + HNSCC) are not entirely understood. This study evaluated the relationship between HPV integration, expression of E6/E7, and patient outcomes in p16+ HNSCCs. Methods: HPV type was determined by HPV PCR-MassArray, and integration was called using detection of integrated papillomavirus sequences polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We investigated whether fusion transcripts were produced by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). E6/E7 expression was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. We assessed if there was a relationship between integration and E6/E7 expression, clinical variables, or patient outcomes. Results: Most samples demonstrated HPV integration, which sometimes resulted in a fusion transcript. HPV integration was positively correlated with age at diagnosis and E6/E7 expression. There was a significant difference in survival between patients with vs without integration. Conclusions: Contrary to previous reports, HPV integration was associated with improved patient survival. Therefore, HPV integration may act as a molecular marker of good prognosis. K E Y W O R D S head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), human papillomavirus (HPV), integration, oropharynx, survival