Septin-2 is overexpressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and mediates proliferation via regulation of cellular metabolic proteins

The cover for issue 31 of Oncotarget features Figure 7, "Verification of enriched proteins identified by proteomic analysis," by James, et al.

Septin-2, a member of the septin family of GTP binding proteins, has been characterized in EOC for the first time and represents a potential future target.

Septin-2 was found to be overexpressed in serous and clear cell human patient tissue compared to benign disease.

Further validation of target proteins indicated that septin-2 plays a predominant role in post-transcriptional and translational modifications as well as cellular metabolism, and suggested the potential novel role of septin-2 in promoting EOC tumorigenesis through these mechanisms.

Dr. Nagib Ahsan from the Center for Cancer Research Development, Proteomics Core Facility, at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, RI, USA as well as the Division of Biology and Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, also in Providence, RI, USA and Dr. Jennifer R. Ribeiro from the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Program in Women?s Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, RI, USA as well as the Division of Biology and Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, in Providence, RI, USA said "Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy"

While EOC accounts for only 2.5 % of all female cancers, it is responsible for 5% of all cancer deaths due to low disease survival rates.

As septins have been shown to have diverse roles in tumorigenesis, this is the first step in specifically defining septin-2s contribution to EOC pathogenesis.

To establish the clinical relevance of septin-2 in EOC, the authors first sought to compare levels of septin-2 in various histological pathologies of EOC versus benign disease.

Furthermore, they present for the first time a global analysis of septin-2 mediated proteomics in EOC and describe signaling pathways most affected by septin-2 depletion.

The results from this study lay the framework for future mechanistic studies to determine the precise role of septin-2 in EOC.

The Ahsan/Ribeiro Research Team concluded, "Additionally, both in vitro and in vivo studies could be performed to confirm that inhibition of septin-2 affects cell viability and tumor growth in order to determine if targeting of septin-2 synergizes with platinum-based chemotherapeutics."

Full text - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.26836

Correspondence to - Nagib Ahsan - nagib_ahsan@brown.edu and Jennifer R. Ribeiro- jrribeiro@wihri.org/a>

Keywords - ovarian cancer, proteomics, septin-2, metabolic proteins