Aquaporins 1, 3 and 5 in Different Tumors, their Expression, Prognosis Value and Role as New Therapeutic Targets

Our plain-English summary of Aquaporins 1, 3 and 5 in Different Tumors, their Expression, Prognosis Value and Role as New Therapeutic Targets, by M.S. Moosavi, Y. Elham (Pathology Oncology Research, 2020).

The study

• Authors: M.S. Moosavi, Y. Elham
• Journal: Pathology Oncology Research
• Published: 2020;26(2):615-625
• Type of article: Review
• Cited by: 51 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

All different types of metabolism of tumors are dependent on the flow of water molecules through the biological membrane, where fluid transfer interceded by aquaporins (AQPs) are the basis means for water entrance into the cells or outside them. Aquaporins play other roles including cellular migration, cellular expansion and cellular adhesion facilitation. Therefore, regulators of AQPs may be useful anticancer agents. Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Sciences were searched. From among the papers found, 106 were related to the subject. All of the examined cancers in relation to AQP1 included adenoid cystic carcinoma, bladder, breast, cervical, colon, colorectal, hepatocellular, lung, ovarian, plural mesothelioma, prostate, renal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. All of the studied cancers in relation with AQP3 included gastric, breast, prostate, lung, pancreas, skin, bladder, squamous cell carcinoma, cervical, adenoid cystic carcinoma, colon, colorectal, ovarian, and hepatocellular cancers and with regard to AQP5 were lung, squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian, adenoid cystic carcinoma, breast, colon, colorectal, hepatic, pancreas, gallbladder, prostate, and gastric cancers. Over or under-expression of AQP1, 3 and is exist in the mentioned cancers across different studies. Over-expression of AQP1, AQP3 and AQP5 is clearly associated with carcinogenesis, metastasis, reduced survival rate, lymph node metastasis, poorer prognosis, and cellular migration. Also, cancer treatments in relation to these markers suggest AQP reduction during the treatment.

In plain English

This article was a review, not a new study. The authors searched Medline, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science in February 2019 for research on cancer and three aquaporins (AQP1, AQP3 and AQP5), proteins that carry water across cell membranes. They reported 106 related papers and summarized them in tables by cancer type. The review did not analyze asbestos or other fiber exposure, although one reviewed paper was a preliminary study of AQP1 in fluoro-edenite-induced malignant mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma was reviewed for AQP1 only. In the reviewed mesothelioma studies, AQP1 overexpression was associated with longer median overall survival, AQP1 expression correlated with prognosis irrespective of treatment, and blocking AQP1 lowered cell adhesion. Across cancers, the authors stated that overexpression of the three aquaporins was associated with cancer development, spread and poorer prognosis. Some reviewed studies pointed the other way, such as improved progression-free and cancer-specific survival with high AQP3 in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The authors concluded that these aquaporins are associated with carcinogenesis and worse cancer prognosis. They did not state any limitations of their review.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Literature review of published studies on aquaporins 1, 3 and 5 in cancer (no new patients or experiments)
• Who was studied: 106 published papers found by searching Medline, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science in February 2019, covering many cancer types including malignant pleural mesothelioma
• Exposure: The review did not analyze asbestos or fiber exposure. It concerned expression of the proteins AQP1, AQP3 and AQP5 in tumors. One reviewed paper (reference 28) studied AQP1 in fluoro-edenite-induced malignant mesothelioma.
• Main results:
  • In a reviewed study of malignant pleural mesothelioma (reference 28), AQP1 overexpression was associated with an increased median overall survival
  • In another reviewed mesothelioma study, AQP1 expression correlated with prognosis regardless of treatment
  • In another reviewed mesothelioma study, inhibiting AQP1 lowered cell adhesion
  • Across the reviewed cancers, the authors stated that overexpression of AQP1, AQP3 and AQP5 was associated with carcinogenesis, metastasis, reduced survival, lymph node metastasis, poorer prognosis and cell migration
  • Not all reviewed studies went in the same direction: in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, high AQP3 expression was associated with improved progression-free and cancer-specific survival
  • The authors reported that the reviewed studies of cancer treatments all suggested a reduction in aquaporins during treatment
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that AQP1, AQP3 and AQP5 are associated with carcinogenesis and worsening cancer prognosis in different epithelial and mesenchymal tissues

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Prognosis, Carcinoma, Mesothelioma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Stomach Cancer, Carcinogenesis, Metastasis.

Related studies

• Gene expression profile of aquaporin 1 and associated interactors in malignant pleural mesothelioma — R. Jagirdar, E.I. Solenov, et al. (2013)
• Immunohistochemical Expression of Aquaporin-1 in Fluoro-Edenite-Induced Malignant Mesothelioma: A Preliminary Report — G. Angelico, R. Caltabiano, et al. (2018)
• Usefulness of Aquaporin 1 as a Prognostic Marker in a Prospective Cohort of Malignant Mesotheliomas — J. Driml, E. Pulford, et al. (2016)
• Aquaporin 1 is an independent prognostic factor in pleural malignant mesothelioma — S.C. Kao, N. Armstrong, et al. (2012)
• Aquaporins in lung health and disease: Emerging roles, regulation, and clinical implications — E. Yadav, N. Yadav, et al. (2020)
• May cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), p21 and p27 expression affect prognosis and therapeutic strategy of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma? — T.C. Mineo, V. Ambrogi, et al. (2010)

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