Intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct are still poorly characterized regarding (1) their molecular alterations during the development to invasive carcinomas, (2) their subtype stratification and (3) their biological behavior. We performed a multicenter study that analyzed these issues in a large European cohort. Intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct from 45 patients were graded and subtyped using mucin markers and CDX2. In addition, tumors were analyzed for common oncogenic pathways, and the findings were correlated with subtype and grade. Data were compared with those from 22 extra-and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. Intraductal papillary neoplasms showed a development from preinvasive low-to highgrade intraepithelial neoplasia to invasive carcinoma. Molecular and immunohistochemical analysis revealed mutated KRAS, overexpression of TP53 and loss of p16 in low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, whereas loss of SMAD4 was found in late phases of tumor development. Alterations of HER2, EGFR, b-catenin and GNAS were rare events. Among the subtypes, pancreato-biliary (36%) and intestinal (29%) were the most common, followed by gastric (18%) and oncocytic (13%) subtypes. Patients with intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct showed a slightly better overall survival than patients with cholangiocarcinoma (hazard ratio (cholangiocarcinoma versus intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct): 1.40; 95% confidence interval: 0.46-4.30; P ¼ 0.552). The development of biliary intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct follows an adenomacarcinoma sequence that correlates with the stepwise activation of common oncogenic pathways. Further large trials are needed to investigate and verify the finding of a better prognosis of intraductal papillary neoplasms compared with conventional cholangiocarcinoma.

Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. Gene expression in surgically resected and microdissected samples of non-small-cell lung cancers (18 squamous cell carcinomas and nine adenocarcinomas), matched normal bronchial epithelium, and peripheral lung tissue from both smokers (n = 22) and non-smokers (n = 5) was studied using the Affymetrix U133A array. A subset of 15 differentially regulated genes was validated by real-time PCR or immunohistochemistry. Hierarchical cluster analysis clearly distinguished between benign and malignant tissue and between squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. The bronchial epithelium and adenocarcinomas could be divided into the two subgroups of smokers and non-smokers. By comparison of the gene expression profiles in the bronchial epithelium of non-smokers, smokers, and matched cancer tissues, it was possible to identify a signature of 23 differentially expressed genes, which might reflect early cigarette smoke-induced and cancer-relevant molecular lesions in the central bronchial epithelium of smokers. Ten of these genes are involved in xenobiotic metabolism and redox stress (eg AKR1B10, AKR1C1, and MT1K). One gene is a tumour suppressor gene (HLF); two genes act as oncogenes (FGFR3 and LMO3); two genes are involved in matrix degradation (MMP12 and PTHLH); three genes are related to cell differentiation (SPRR1B, RTN1, and MUC7); and five genes have not been well characterized to date. By comparison of the tobacco-exposed peripheral alveolar lung tissue of smokers with non-smokers and with adenocarcinomas from smokers, it was possible to identify a signature of 27 other differentially expressed genes. These genes are involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics (eg GPX2 and FMO3) and may represent cigarette smoke-induced, cancer-related molecular targets that may be utilized to identify smokers with increased risk for lung cancer.

We describe a novel virus, AFV1, of the hyperthermophilic archaeal genus Acidianus. Filamentous virions are covered with a lipid envelope and contain at least five different proteins with molecular masses in the range of 23-130 kDa and a 20.8-kb-long linear double-stranded DNA. The virus has been assigned to the family Lipothrixviridae on the basis of morphotypic characteristics. Host range is confined to several strains of Acidianus and the virus persists in its hosts in a stable carrier state. The latent period of virus infection is about 4 h. Viral DNA was sequenced and sequence similarities were found to the lipothrixvirus SIFV, the rudiviruses SIRV1 and SIRV2, as well as to conjugative plasmids and chromosomes of the genus Sulfolobus. Exceptionally for the linear genomes of archaeal viruses, many short direct repeats, with the sequence TTGTT or close variants thereof, are closely clustered over 300 bp at each end of the genome. They are reminiscent of the telomeric ends of linear eukaryal chromosomes.

Maspin, a member of the serpin family, has been reported to suppress metastasis and angiogenesis in breast and prostate cancers. Overexpression of maspin was associated with adverse prognostic features in several other tumours. In this study, expression of maspin was analysed in 41 colorectal carcinomas with high-frequency microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and 159 microsatellite stable colorectal cancers (MSS/MSI-L) by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and partly by relative quantitative real-time RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Significant upregulation of maspin expression was found in MSI-H tumours compared to both MSS/MSI-L tumours and matched benign colonic mucosa. Increased maspin expression was also found in three MSI-H colon cancer cell lines, but not in three MSS colon cancer cell lines by RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Regulation of maspin expression depended on promoter methylation as tissue specimens and cell lines expressing maspin showed unmethylated maspin promoters, whereas promoter hypermethylation was found in specimens with loss of maspin expression. Intense nuclear maspin immunostaining was seen specifically in MSI-H tumours (p = 0.013), de-differentiated tumours (p = 0.006), and at the invasion front. These findings provide new insights into the role of maspin in colorectal cancer progression and may be useful for diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Implementation of chemotherapy with the drug temozolomide increased the overall survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM; WHO grade IV), in particular when the O(6)-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter is epigenetically silenced. Nevertheless, the prognosis remains poor, and relapse in GBM occurs regularly. This clinical behavior seems to be due to the existence of a therapy-resistant subpopulation of cells that induce tumor regrowth. The objective of this work was to analyze the role of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 1A1 in mediating temozolomide resistance and its value as a predictor of clinical outcome in GBM patients. Nine GBM cell lines were treated with temozolomide alone or in combination with 4-diethylaminobenzaldehyde (DEAB), an inhibitor of ALDH1A1, or with ALDH1A1 short hairpin (sh)RNA. ALDH1A1 expression and MGMT status of 70 primary GBM patients were correlated with median survival. ALDH1A1 overexpression predicted temozolomide resistance in vitro. Sensitivity of ALDH1A1 positive/MGMT-positive cells to temozolomide could be restored by inhibition of ALDH1A1 by DEAB or by knockdown with shRNA, as indicated by increased cytotoxicity, reduced clonogenicity, and accumulation in the G2/M cell-cycle phase. The prognosis of patients with a high level of ALDH1A1 expression was poor compared with that of patients with low levels (P < .0001). ALDH1A1 is a new mediator for resistance of GBM to temozolomide and a reliable predictor of clinical outcome and may serve as a potential target to improve treatment of human GBM.