Investigator

Jing Wang

Attending Physician · Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

JWJing Wang
Papers(12)
Comprehensive Target …A prediction model ba…Insights into inflamm…Blocking PARP activit…Circulating extrachro…Mesoporous silica-coa…Genetic analysis of c…Application of PARP i…Surgical evidence-bas…Immunotherapy and the…Roles of TRPM7 in ova…Overexpression of BMP…
Collaborators(10)
Julian LevellKaiming SunLei LiLinda DuskaLisha HuangLi WangMafei XuMartin GutierrezMichael DevittMisi He
Institutions(8)
Constellation Pharmac…Peking Union Medical …University Of VirginiaUnknown InstitutionAffiliated Hospital o…Anhui Medical Univers…Hackensack University…Chongqing University

Papers

Comprehensive Target Engagement by the EZH2 Inhibitor Tulmimetostat Allows for Targeting of ARID1A Mutant Cancers

Abstract Recurrent somatic mutations in the BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complex subunit ARID1A occur frequently in advanced urothelial, endometrial, and ovarian clear cell carcinomas, creating an alternative chromatin state that may be exploited therapeutically. The histone methyltransferase EZH2 has been previously identified as targetable vulnerability in the context of ARID1A mutations. In this study, we describe the discovery of tulmimetostat, an orally available, clinical stage EZH2 inhibitor, and it elucidates the aspects of its application potential in ARID1A mutant tumors. Tulmimetostat administration achieved efficacy in multiple ARID1A mutant bladder, ovarian, and endometrial tumor models and improved cisplatin response in chemotherapy-resistant models. Consistent with its comprehensive and durable level of target coverage, tulmimetostat demonstrated greater efficacy than other PRC2-targeted inhibitors at comparable or lower exposures in a bladder cancer xenograft mouse model. Tulmimetostat mediated extensive changes in gene expression, in addition to a profound reduction in global H3K27me3 levels in tumors. Phase I clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data indicated that tulmimetostat exhibits durable exposure and profound target engagement. Importantly, a tulmimetostat controlled gene expression signature identified in whole blood from a cohort of 32 patients with cancer correlated with tulmimetostat exposure, representing a pharmacodynamic marker for the assessment of target coverage for PRC2-targeted agents in the clinic. Collectively, these data suggest that tulmimetostat has the potential to achieve clinical benefit in solid tumors as a monotherapy but also in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, and may be beneficial in various indications with recurrent ARID1A mutations. Significance: The EZH2 inhibitor tulmimetostat achieves comprehensive target inhibition in ARID1A mutant solid tumor models and cancer patients that can be assessed with a pharmacodynamic gene signature in peripheral blood.

A prediction model based on deep learning and radiomics features of DWI for the assessment of microsatellite instability in endometrial cancer

AbstractBackgroundTo explore the efficacy of a prediction model based on diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) features extracted from deep learning (DL) and radiomics combined with clinical parameters and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values to identify microsatellite instability (MSI) in endometrial cancer (EC).MethodsThis study included a cohort of 116 patients with EC, who were subsequently divided into training (n = 81) and test (n = 35) sets. From DWI, conventional radiomics features and convolutional neural network‐based DL features were extracted. Random forest (RF) and logistic regression were adopted as classifiers. DL features, radiomics features, clinical variables, ADC values, and their combinations were applied to establish DL, radiomics, clinical, ADC, and combined models, respectively. The predictive performance was evaluated through the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), total integrated discrimination index (IDI), net reclassification index (NRI), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsThe optimal predictive model, based on an RF classifier, comprised four DL features, three radiomics features, two clinical variables, and an ADC value. In the training and test sets, this model exhibited AUC values of 0.989 (95% CI: 0.935–1.000) and 0.885 (95% CI: 0.731–0.967), respectively, demonstrating different degrees of improvement compared with the clinical, DL, radiomics, and ADC models (AUC‐training = 0.671, 0.873, 0.833, and 0.814, AUC‐test = 0.685, 0.783, 0.708, and 0.713, respectively). The NRI and IDI analyses revealed that the combined model resulted in improved risk reclassification of the MSI status compared to the clinical, radiomics, DL, and ADC models. The calibration curves and DCA indicated good consistency and clinical utility of this model, respectively.ConclusionsThe predictive model based on DWI features extracted from DL and radiomics combined with clinical parameters and ADC values could effectively assess the MSI status in EC.

Insights into inflammation and implications for the pathogenesis and long-term outcomes of endometrial cancer: genome-wide surveys and a clinical cohort study

Abstract Background Despite evidence showing a connection between inflammation and endometrial cancer (EC) risk, the surveys on genetic correlation and cohort studies investigating the impact on long-term outcomes have yet to be refined. We aimed to address the impact of inflammation factors on the pathogenesis, progression and consequences of EC. Methods For the genetic correlation analyses, a two-sample of Mendelian randomization (MR) study was applied to investigate inflammation-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms involved with endometrial cancer from GWAS databases. The observational retrospective study included consecutive patients diagnosed with EC (stage I to IV) with surgeries between January 2010 and October 2020 at the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College. Results The 2-sample MR surveys indicated no causal relationship between inflammatory cytokines and endometrial cancer. 780 cases (median age, 55.0 years ) diagnosed with EC were included in the cohort and followed up for an average of 6.8 years. Increased inflammatory parameters at baseline were associated with a higher FIGO stage and invasive EC risk (odds ratios [OR] 1.01 to 4.20). Multivariate-cox regression suggested that multiple inflammatory indicators were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.05). Nomogram models based on inflammatory risk and clinical factors were developed for OS and PFS with C-index of 0.811 and 0.789, respectively. LASSO regression for the validation supported the predictive efficacy of inflammatory and clinical factors on the long-term outcomes of EC. Conclusions Despite the fact that the genetic surveys did not show a detrimental impact of inflammatory cytokines on the endometrial cancer risk, our cohort study suggested that inflammatory level was associated with the progression and long-term outcomes of EC. This evidence may contribute to new strategies targeted at decreasing inflammation levels during EC therapy.

Blocking PARP activity with the inhibitor veliparib enhances radiotherapy sensitivity in endometrial carcinoma

AbstractObjectiveOur study aimed to investigate the potential clinical utility of a poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, veliparib (ABT‐888), as a radiosensitizer in the medication of endometrial carcinoma (EC).MethodsHuman Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cells were treated with veliparib, radiotherapy (RT), or combination treatment. The viabilities, radiosensitivity enhancement ratio (sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER), and apoptosis of Ishikawa cells were, respectively, evaluated by Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8), colony formation experiment, and flow cytometry. The tumor growth was assessed by xenograft mice models. Western blot assay investigated the expression of DNA damage and apoptosis‐related proteins in vivo and in vitro.ResultsCell Counting Kit‐8 revealed that the 10% inhibition concentration (IC10) and 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) values of veliparib‐treated Ishikawa cells were 1.7 and 133.5 µM, respectively. The SER of veliparib combined with RT was 1.229 in vitro. Flow cytometry analysis results indicated that the apoptosis rate of the veliparib + RT group was markedly higher than that of the RT group in vitro (p < 0.05). Furthermore, in vivo data revealed that veliparib + RT treatment significantly decreased tumor growth compared with single treatments of veliparib or RT and with the control group (p < 0.05). Then western blot confirmed the levels of anti‐phospho‐histone (γH2AX), caspase‐3, and B‐cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‐2) associated protein X (Bax) were significantly higher in the veliparib + RT group, while the level of Bcl‐2 was lower compared with that of the RT group (p < 0.05), both in vivo and in vitro.ConclusionOur results indicate that veliparib in combination with RT markedly improved the therapeutic efficiency in human endometrial carcinoma.

Circulating extrachromosomal circular DNA in epithelial ovarian cancer reflects chemotherapeutic response and recurrence

Cell-free extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) in the plasma provides an advantage for monitoring epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) progression. We isolated eccDNA from plasma samples of 30 EOC patients before treatment (T0 time point) and 4 healthy individuals. We followed 16 EOC patients, collecting paired eccDNA samples between the 3rd and 4th course of chemotherapy (T1) and 6 months after the last course of chemotherapy (F). The patients were divided into three groups, including complete remission (CR) group, partial remission group (PR), and relapse group (RC). We compared the normalized eccDNA count per million mapped reads (EPM) among all the groups and assessed the distribution of eccDNA on each chromosome. Then, the eccDNA within the top 5 % coverage regions of each chromosome were annotated, and the top genes were analyzed for prognosis. We found that EOC patients exhibited significantly higher levels of eccDNA, with higher coverage in coding exon regions. Notably, circulating eccDNA was generally increased in the CR group, while decreased in the PR and RC group during treatment. Our results showed that the fold change of EPMs between the T1 and T0 distinguished PR and RC patients from CR patients, with area under the curve (AUC) of 0.71. Additionally, we identified two genes, SCARB1 and PDE10A, whose EPMs were able to predict prognosis in EOC patients, with AUCs of 0.86 and 0.83, respectively. Thus, our study offers valuable preliminary insights into a novel approach for predicting chemotherapy sensitivity in EOC patients, based on the trends of circulating eccDNA.

Genetic analysis of cervical cancer with lymph node metastasis

To find out the differences in gene characteristics between cervical cancer patients with and without lymph node metastasis, and to provide reference for therapy. From January 2018 to June 2022, recurrent cervical cancer patients 39 cases with lymph node metastasis and 73 cases without lymph node metastasis underwent testing of 1,021 cancer-related genes by next-generation sequencing. Maftools software was used to analyze somatic single nucleotide/insertion-deletion variation mutation, co-occurring mutation, cosmic mutation characteristics, oncogenic signaling pathways. EP300 and FBXW7 were significantly enriched in lymph node-positive patients. Lymph node-positive patients with EP300 or FBXW7 mutations had lower overall survival (OS) after recurrence. Both lymph node-positive and -negative patients had plenty of co-occurring mutations but few mutually exclusive mutations. Lymph node-positive co-occurring mutation number ≥6 had lower OS, while lymph node-negative co-occurring mutation number ≥3 had lower OS after recurrence. The etiology of SBS3 was defects in DNA double strand break repair by homologous recombination, which exclusively exist in lymph node-positive patients. There was no difference in median tumor mutation burden (TMB) between positive and negative lymph nodes, but TMB was significantly associated with PIK3CA mutation. The somatic SNV/Indels of EP300 and FBXW7, SBS3 homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair defect were enriched in lymph node-positive patients. For lymph node-positive patients, EP300 or FBXW7 mutations predicted poor prognosis. No matter lymph node-positive or negative, more co-occurring mutation number predicted poor prognosis. PIK3CA mutation may account for the higher TMB and help identify patients who benefit from immunotherapy.

Overexpression of BMPER in Ovarian Cancer and the Mechanism by which It Promotes Malignant Biological Behavior in Tumor Cells

Background. BMPER has been reported to be associated with the biological behavior of a few malignant tumors, but the mechanism is still unclear. We aimed to detect BMPER expression in ovarian epithelial tumor tissues and its effects on their biological behaviors, as well as to elucidate the possible mechanism. Methods. BMPER expression in ovarian epithelial tumor tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. BMPER expression in ovarian cancer cell lines was inhibited via RNA interference. Changes in the malignant behaviors of ovarian cancer cells were detected by MTT, wound healing, Transwell, and flow cytometry assays. Changes in proteins in the MAPK and autophagy‐related signaling pathways were detected by Western blot analysis. Results. The expression of BMPER was significantly upregulated in ovarian epithelial malignant tumors and was related to increased lymph node metastasis and lower survival rate. High BMPER expression is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in patients. Inhibition of BMPER inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of ovarian cancer cells and promoted apoptosis. In addition, BMPER downregulation decreased the expression of PCNA, Bcl‐2, MMP2, and MMP9 and increased the expression of Bax. Moreover, the levels of p‐ERK, p‐MEK, and the autophagy‐related protein p‐mTOR were decreased, and Beclin 1 levels and the LC3II/I ratio were increased. Conclusions. Our findings indicated that BMPER is closely related to poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. BMPER plays a role in promoting the malignant biological behavior of tumor cells through the MAPK and autophagy‐related signaling pathways.

A risk score system based on a six-microRNA signature predicts the overall survival of patients with ovarian cancer

AbstractBackgroundOvarian cancer (OVC) is a devastating disease worldwide; therefore the identification of prognostic biomarkers is urgently needed. We aimed to determine a robust microRNA signature-based risk score system that could predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with OVC.MethodsWe extracted the microRNA expression profiles and corresponding clinical data of 467 OVC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and further divided this data into training, validation and complete cohorts. The key prognostic microRNAs for OVC were identified and evaluated by robust likelihood-based survival analysis (RLSA) and multivariable Cox regression. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were then constructed to evaluate the prognostic performance of these microRNAs. A total of 172 ovarian cancer samples and 162 normal ovarian tissues were used to verify the credibility and accuracy of the selected markers of the TCGA cohort by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).ResultsWe successfully established a risk score system based on a six-microRNA signature (hsa-miR-3074-5p, hsa-miR-758-3p, hsa-miR-877-5p, hsa-miR-760, hsa-miR-342-5p, and hsa-miR-6509-5p). This microRNA based system is able to characterize patients as either high or low risk. The OS of OVC patients, with either high or low risk, was significantly different when compared in the training cohort (p < 0.001), the validation cohort (p < 0.001) and the complete cohort (p < 0.001). Analysis of clinical samples further demonstrated that these microRNAs were aberrantly expressed in OVC tissues. The six-miRNA-based signature was correlated with the prognosis of OVC patients (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe study established a novel risk score system that is predictive of patient prognosis and is a potentially useful guide for the personalized treatment of OVC patients.

SOX1 and PAX1 Are Hypermethylated in Cervical Adenocarcinoma and Associated with Better Prognosis

Background. The increased risk and poor survival outcome of cervical adenocarcinoma (CAC) demand for effective early diagnostic biomarkers that can predict the disease progression and outcome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of methylation status of SOX1 and PAX1 in the detection and prognosis of CAC. Methods. We performed a quantitative methylation‐specific polymerase chain reaction in 205 cervical paraffin‐embedded specimens (175 CACs, 30 noncancer cervical tissues). Overall and progression‐free survival (OS and PFS, respectively) rates were calculated and compared using the Kaplan‐Meier method. The prognostic value of SOX1m and PAX1m on CAC patients was assessed by the Cox regression model. A mathematical formula combining SOX1m, PAX1m, and age was constructed for survival prediction. Results. The methylation status of SOX1 and PAX1 was higher in CAC tissues than in noncancer cervical tissues. In addition, SOX1m‐positive CAC patients showed a higher 5‐year OS rate than SOX1m‐negative patients. In CAC patients with smaller tumor size (<4 cm), the PAX1m‐positive group showed a higher 5‐year PFS rate than the PAX1m‐negative group. In the algorithm combining SOX1m, PAX1m, and age, the low‐risk group showed a better 5‐year OS and PFS rate than the high‐risk group. Conclusion. SOX1 and PAX1 methylation levels are higher in CAC than in normal cervical tissues and are potential biomarkers for monitoring CAC prognosis.

Prevalence of Atypical and Subclonal p53 Immunohistochemistry Expression in Mismatch Repair Deficient and/or POLE-Mutant Endometrial Carcinomas with TP53 Mutation

p53 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a reliable surrogate for determining TP53 mutation status in endometrial carcinomas (ECs). However, the correlation of p53 IHC patterns and TP53 mutation characteristics in mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd) and/or POLE-mutant ECs was not comprehensively investigated. In this study, we identified 4 p53 expression patterns in 40 MMRd and/or POLE-mutant ECs with TP53 mutations. Thirteen cases (33%) displayed a wild-type pattern. Nine cases (23%) showed atypical pattern, characterized by the presence of eye-catching clustered cells with strong nuclear staining or weak-to-moderate cytoplasmic staining, which were patchily distributed with blurred boundaries. Fourteen cases (35%) demonstrated subclonal pattern with distinct regions of wild-type and mutation-type staining, of which 3 cases were originally misdiagnosed as "mixed EC." Only 4 (10%) cases exhibited typical aberrant pattern. Tumors with wild-type and atypical patterns were predominantly associated with MMRd and POLE mutations, respectively. Among 52 TP53 mutations identified, 75% were missense and 25% were truncating, predominantly in DNA-binding domain. Gain-of-function missense mutations were more frequent in cases with subclonal patterns, whereas non-gain-of-function missense mutations predominated in wild-type or atypical patterns. Concurrent mutations were present in 25% of cases and were more common in aberrant or atypical patterns. Interestingly, 2 POLE wild-type cases with subclonal MMR expression showed p53 overexpression across the entire tumor, complicating molecular subtyping. These findings highlight the prevalence of atypical and subclonal p53 expression patterns in MMRd and/or POLE-mutant ECs with TP53 mutations, aiding in accurate IHC interpretation and thus more precise EC histological and molecular classification.

BUB1B Promotes Ovarian Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis by Activating the Wnt/β‐Catenin Pathway

ABSTRACT Background BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B (BUB1B) has been found to participate in cancer progression. Nevertheless, the function and mechanism of BUB1B in ovarian cancer (OC) remain unknown. Method Based on datasets GSE14407, GSE18520, and the TCGA combined GTEx database, the differently expressed genes (DEGs) between OC tissues and para‐carcinoma tissues were identified. These DEGs were subjected to protein–protein interaction analysis to obtain hub genes, with BUB1B serving as a candidate for further study. Subsequently, the prognostic value was analyzed. To elucidate the role of BUB1B, knockdown experiments were conducted in vitro and in vivo to assess alterations in malignant behaviors, while β ‐catenin expression was quantified by qRT‐PCR and western blot. Moreover, the Wnt/ β ‐catenin pathway inhibitor LGK974 was utilized to demonstrate whether the effects of BUB1B are mediated by the Wnt/ β ‐catenin pathway. Results High BUB1B expression was observed in OC tissues and cell lines, and it was identified as a hub DEG with prognostic value in OC. Following BUB1B knockdown, cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor growth and metastasis were suppressed in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, BUB1B knockdown inhibited the expression of β ‐catenin and inactivated the Wnt/ β ‐catenin pathway. In addition, BUB1B overexpression promoted the malignant behavior of OC cells, which was inhibited by LGK974. Conclusion BUB1B is an oncogene whose expression level is negatively correlated with the prognosis of OC patients. Mechanically, BUB1B promotes the progression of OC via the Wnt/ β ‐catenin pathway. Our study offers a potential therapeutic target for OC treatment.

Cadonilimab Combined with Chemotherapy with or without Bevacizumab as First-Line Treatment in Recurrent or Metastatic Cervical Cancer (COMPASSION-13): A Phase 2 Study

Abstract Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been a potential treatment option for patients with cervical cancer in several clinical studies. We investigated the safety and efficacy of cadonilimab, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4, plus standard therapy for the first-line treatment of R/M CC (recurrent and/or metastatic cervical cancer). Patients and Methods: Eligible patients were assigned to 3 cohorts: cohort A-15 (cadonilimab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks (Q3W) plus chemotherapy), cohort A-10 (cadonilimb 10 mg/kg Q3W plus chemotherapy), and cohort B-10 (cadonilimab 10 mg/kg Q3W plus chemotherapy and bevacizumab). They received the corresponding treatments until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, withdrawal of consent, or investigator decision. The primary objective was safety; the secondary endpoints included objective overall response (ORR), duration of response, disease control rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04868708). Results: As of February 13, 2023, treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) occurred in 45 (100.0%) patients. Grade ≥3 TRAEs were reported in 33 (73.3%) patients. Immune-related adverse events (irAE) occurred in 29 (64.4%) patients and grade ≥3 irAEs were observed in 9 (20.0%) patients. Seven (15.6%) of 45 patients permanently discontinued cadonilimab treatment due to TRAEs. One death due to hemorrhagic shock occurred in cohort B-10. Among 44 patients who underwent at least one post-baseline tumor assessment, the ORR was 66.7% in cohort A-15, 68.8% in cohort A-10, 92.3% in cohort B-10, and 79.3% in cohorts A-10 and B-10 combined. Conclusions: Cadonilimab combined with standard therapy was acceptable, with encouraging antitumor activity in patients with R/M CC.

7Works
18Papers
67Collaborators

Positions

Attending Physician

Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College · Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Education

2021

PhD

University of Sassari · Scienze della Vita e Biotecnologie

Country

CN