Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE114772: KLF4, a gene regulating prostate stem cell homeostasis, is a barrier to malignant progression and predictor of a good prognosis in prostate cancer

Bulk RNA sequencing

We propose that genes that control adult stem cell homeostasis in slowly turning over organs, such as prostate, control cancer fate. One such gene, KLF4, highly expressed in murine prostate stem cells, regulates their homeostasis, blocks malignant transformation and controls the self-renewal of tumor initiating cells. KLF4 loss induces molecular features of aggressive cancer and converts PIN lesions to invasive sarcomatoid carcinomas; its re-expression in vivo reverses this process. Bioinformatic analysis links these changes to human cancer. KLF4 and its signature containing downstream targets identify indolent tumors and predict recurrence-free survival in 2 prostate cancer cohorts. Thus, the link between normal stem cells and cancer control provides new approaches to improve prognosis and for identifying therapeutic targets for advanced cancer. SOURCE: Alireza Khodadadi-JamayranApplied Bioinformatics Laboratories (ABL) New York University, NYU Langone Medical Center