Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tumor metastasis

Tumor-associated neutrophils in pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a challenge to modern-day cancer therapeutics, with a dismal five-year survival rate of 12%. Due to the pancreas's location and desmoplasia surrounding it, patients receive late diagnoses and fail to respond to chemotherapy regimens. Tumor-promoting inflammation, one of the emerging hallmarks of cancer, contributes to tumor cells' survival and proliferation. This inflammation often results from infiltrating leukocytes and pro-inflammatory cytokines released into the tumor microenvironment (TME). Neutrophils, one of our body's most prominent immune cells, are essential in sustaining the inflammation observed in the TME. Recent reports demonstrate that neutrophils are complicit in cancer progression and metastasis. Additionally, abundant data suggest that tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) could be considered as one of the emerging targets for multiple cancer types, including PC. This review will focus on the most recent updates regarding neutrophil recruitments and functions in the cancer microenvironment and the potential development of neutrophils-targeted putative therapeutic strategies in PC.

Jagged1 intracellular domain/SMAD3 complex transcriptionally regulates TWIST1 to drive glioma invasion

Jagged1 (JAG1) is a Notch ligand that correlates with tumor progression. Not limited to its function as a ligand, JAG1 can be cleaved, and its intracellular domain translocates to the nucleus, where it functions as a transcriptional cofactor. Previously, we showed that JAG1 intracellular domain (JICD1) forms a protein complex with DDX17/SMAD3/TGIF2. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying JICD1-mediated tumor aggressiveness remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that JICD1 enhances the invasive phenotypes of glioblastoma cells by transcriptionally activating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, especially TWIST1. The inhibition of TWIST1 reduced JICD1-driven tumor aggressiveness. Although SMAD3 is an important component of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling, the JICD1/SMAD3 transcriptional complex was shown to govern brain tumor invasion independent of TGF-β signaling. Moreover, JICD1-TWIST1-MMP2 and MMP9 axes were significantly correlated with clinical outcome of glioblastoma patients. Collectively, we identified the JICD1/SMAD3-TWIST1 axis as a novel inducer of invasive phenotypes in cancer cells.

Molecular subtypes of breast cancer predicting clinical benefits of radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery: a propensity-score-matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

Based on the molecular expression of cancer cells, molecular subtypes of breast cancer have been applied to classify patients for predicting clinical outcomes and prognosis. However, further evidence is needed regarding the influence of molecular subtypes on the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS), particularly in a population-based context. Hence, the present study employed a propensity-score-matched cohort design to investigate the potential role of molecular subtypes in stratifying patient outcomes for post-BCS RT and to identify the specific clinical benefits that may emerge.

METHODS

From 2006 to 2019, the present study included 59,502 breast cancer patients who underwent BCS from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Propensity scores were utilized to match confounding variables between patients with and without RT within each subtype of breast cancer, namely luminal A, luminal B/HER2-negative, luminal B/HER2-positive, basal-like, and HER2-enriched ones. Several clinical outcomes were assessed, in terms of local recurrence (LR), regional recurrence (RR), distant metastasis (DM), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

After post-BCS RT, patients with luminal A and luminal B/HER2-positive breast cancers exhibited a decrease in LR (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.18, p < 0.0001; and, 0.24, p = 0.0049, respectively). Furthermore, reduced RR and improved DFS were observed in patients with luminal A (aHR = 0.15, p = 0.0004; and 0.29, p < 0.0001), luminal B/HER2-negative (aHR = 0.06, p = 0.0093; and, 0.46, p = 0.028), and luminal B/HER2-positive (aHR = 0.14, p = 0.01; and, 0.38, p < 0.0001) breast cancers. Notably, OS benefits were found in patients with luminal A (aHR = 0.62, p = 0.002), luminal B/HER2-negative (aHR = 0.30, p < 0.0001), basal-like (aHR = 0.40, p < 0.0001), and HER2-enriched (aHR = 0.50, p = 0.03), but not luminal B/HER2-positive diseases. Remarkably, when considering DM, luminal A patients who received RT demonstrated a lower cumulative incidence of DM than those without RT (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In patients with luminal A breast cancer who undergo BCS, RT could decrease the likelihood of tumor metastasis. After RT, the tumor's hormone receptor status may predict tumor control regarding LR, RR, and DFS. Besides, the HER2 status of luminal breast cancer patients may serve as an additional predictor of OS after post-BCS RT. However, further prospective studies are required to validate these findings.

Ginsenoside Rh2 and its octyl ester derivative inhibited invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via the c-Jun/COX2/PGE2 pathway

BACKGROUND

Liver cancer is a topical global health issue. The treatment of liver cancer meets significant challenges in the high recurrence rate and invasive incidence. Therefore, the treatment strategies that target epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2)/ prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) pathway have become epidemic. Ginsenoside Rh2 has been proved to inhibit the EMT. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Moreover, the octyl ester derivative of Rh2 (Rh2-O) exhibited superior anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory effects than Rh2 in our previous researches, which indicated that Rh2-O might also exert inhibitory effects on invasion and metastasis.

PURPOSE

The aim of current study is to explore the inhibitory effects of Rh2 and Rh2-O on invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma, and to investigate whether these effects are dependent on the c-Jun/COX2/PGE2 pathway.

STUDY DESIGN

The Huh-7 liver cancer cells and the H22 tumor-bearing mice were treated with Rh2 and Rh2-O.

METHOD

In this paper, the inhibitory effects of Rh2 and Rh2-O on invasion and metastasis were tested by wound healing, trans-well assay and tumor-bearing mice, and the involvement of c-Jun/COX2/PGE2 pathway were verified by exogenous PGE2, activation of COX2 and overexpression of c-Jun.

RESULTS

The results showed that Rh2 and Rh2-O could efficiently inhibit the invasion and metastasis in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). And the Rh2-O showed stronger effects than Rh2. Moreover, the exogenous PGE2, activation of COX2 by exogenous LPS and the overexpression of c-Jun by transfection all reversed the inhibitory effects of Rh2 and Rh2-O on metastasis or EMT (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Rh2 and Rh2-O could inhibit the invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via restraining the EMT, which was mediated by c-Jun/COX2/PGE2 pathway.

Evolving insights in blood-based liquid biopsies for prostate cancer interrogation

During the last decade, blood sampling of cancer patients aimed at analyzing the presence of cells, membrane-bound vesicles, or molecules released by primary tumors or metastatic growths emerged as an alternative to traditional tissue biopsies. The advent of this minimally invasive approach, known as blood-based liquid biopsy, began to play a pivotal role in the management of diverse cancers, establishing itself as a vital component of precision medicine. Here, we discuss three blood-based liquid biopsies, namely circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and tumor-derived exosomes, as they relate to prostate cancer (PCa) management. The advances achieved in the molecular characterization of these types of liquid biopsies and their potential to predict recurrence, improve responses to certain treatments, and evaluate prognosis, in PCa patients, are highlighted herein. While there is currently full clinical validation for only one CTC-based and one ctDNA-based liquid biopsy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant PCa, the adoption of additional methods is anticipated as they undergo standardization and achieve analytical and clinical validation. Advantages and disadvantages of different blood-based liquid biopsy approaches in the context of PCa are outlined herein, while also considering potential synergies through combinatory strategies.

Oxidative stress regulation and related metabolic pathways in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of breast cancer stem cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cell remodeling process in which epithelial cells undergo a reversible phenotype switch via the loss of adhesion capacity and acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics. In other words, EMT activation can increase invasiveness and metastatic properties, and prevent the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutics, as mesenchymal cells have a higher resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. EMT is orchestrated by a complex and multifactorial network, often linked to episodic, transient, or partial events. A variety of factors have been implicated in EMT development. Based on this concept, multiple metabolic pathways and master transcription factors, such as Snail, Twist, and ZEB, can drive the EMT. Emerging evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a significant role in EMT induction. One emerging theory is that reducing mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species production may contribute to EMT development. This review describes how metabolic pathways and transcription factors are linked to EMT induction and addresses the involvement of signaling pathways.

Liquid Biopsy in Head and Neck Cancer: Its Present State and Future Role in Africa

The rising mortality and morbidity rate of head and neck cancer (HNC) in Africa has been attributed to factors such as the poor state of health infrastructures, genetics, and late presentation resulting in the delayed diagnosis of these tumors. If well harnessed, emerging molecular and omics diagnostic technologies such as liquid biopsy can potentially play a major role in optimizing the management of HNC in Africa. However, to successfully apply liquid biopsy technology in the management of HNC in Africa, factors such as genetic, socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural acceptability of the technology must be given due consideration. This review outlines the role of circulating molecules such as tumor cells, tumor DNA, tumor RNA, proteins, and exosomes, in liquid biopsy technology for the management of HNC with a focus on studies conducted in Africa. The present state and the potential opportunities for the future use of liquid biopsy technology in the effective management of HNC in resource-limited settings such as Africa is further discussed.

KLF5/MDM2 Axis Modulates Oxidative Stress and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Lens Epithelial Cells: The Role in Diabetic Cataract

Diabetic cataract (DC) is a common cause of visual loss in older diabetic subjects. Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) plays an essential role in migration and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in diverse cells and is involved in oxidative stress. However, the effects of KLF5 on DC remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the biological function of KLF5 in DC and its underlying mechanism. The expression patterns of KLF5 were detected in vivo and in vitro. Then, KLF5 was knocked down in human lens epithelial cells (HLECs) to explore its functional roles and underlying mechanisms. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis were used to detect whether KLF5 could bind the promoter of E3 ubiquitin ligase mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), a key regulator of EMT. Lastly, the regulation of KLF5 in the biological behaviors of HLECs via MDM2 was analyzed. We found a significant increase of KLF5 in the DC lens anterior capsular, diabetic rat lens, and high glucose (HG)-stimulated HLECs. Knockdown of KLF5 inhibited oxidative stress, inflammation, migration, and EMT of HG-stimulated HLECs. KLF5 silencing impeded MDM2 expression and restricted the activation of MARK1/FAK and NF-κB signaling pathways in HLECs under HG condition. Additionally, KLF5 was found to bind the MDM2 promoter and enhance the transcriptional activity of MDM2. The protective effects by silencing KLF5 on HG-cultured HLECs could be offset by MDM2 overexpression. We demonstrated that knockdown of KLF5 alleviated oxidative stress, migration, and EMT of HG-cultured HLECs by regulating MDM2, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for DC.

CWH43 Is a Novel Tumor Suppressor Gene with Negative Regulation of TTK in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most prevalent forms of cancer globally, and its late-stage survival outcomes are less than optimal. A more nuanced understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind CRC's development is crucial for enhancing patient survival rates. Existing research suggests that the expression of Cell Wall Biogenesis 43 C-Terminal Homolog (CWH43) is reduced in CRC. However, the specific role that CWH43 plays in cancer progression remains ambiguous. Our research seeks to elucidate the influence of CWH43 on CRC's biological behavior and to shed light on its potential as a therapeutic target in CRC management. Utilizing publicly available databases, we examined the expression levels of CWH43 in CRC tissue samples and their adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Our findings indicated lower levels of both mRNA and protein expressions of CWH43 in cancerous tissues. Moreover, we found that a decrease in CWH43 expression correlates with poorer prognoses for CRC patients. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the suppression of CWH43 led to increased cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, while its overexpression had inhibitory effects. Further evidence from xenograft models showed enhanced tumor growth upon CWH43 silencing. Leveraging data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), our Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated a positive relationship between low CWH43 expression and the activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT) pathway. We conducted RNA sequencing to analyze gene expression changes under both silenced and overexpressed CWH43 conditions. By identifying core genes and executing KEGG pathway analysis, we discovered that CWH43 appears to have regulatory influence over the TTK-mediated cell cycle. Importantly, inhibition of TTK counteracted the tumor-promoting effects caused by CWH43 downregulation. Our findings propose that the decreased expression of CWH43 amplifies TTK-mediated cell cycle activities, thus encouraging tumor growth. This newly identified mechanism offers promising avenues for targeted CRC treatment strategies.

Surface nanotopography and cell shape modulate tumor cell susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxicity

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate cytotoxic lymphocytes exerting cytotoxicity against virally infected cells and tumor cells. NK cell cytotoxicity is primarily determined by biochemical signals received from ligands expressed on target cell surfaces, but it is also possible that biophysical environments of tumor cells, such as nanoscale surface topography typically existing on extracellular matrixes (ECMs) or cell morphology determined by ECM spaces or cell density, regulate NK cell cytotoxicity. In this study, micro/nanofabrication technology was applied to examine this possibility. Tumor cells were plated on flat or nanogrooved surfaces, or micropatterned into circular or elliptical geometries, and the effects of surface topography and tumor cell morphology on NK cell cytotoxicity were investigated. NK cells exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity against tumor cells on nanogrooved surfaces or tumor cells in elliptical patterns than tumor cells on flat surfaces or tumor cells in circular patterns, respectively. The amounts of stress fiber formation in tumor cells positively correlated with NK cell cytotoxicity, indicating that increased cellular tension of tumor cells, either mediated by nanogrooved surfaces or elongated morphologies, was a key factor regulating NK cell cytotoxicity. These results may provide insight into the design of NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy.

A novel RIP1-mediated canonical WNT signaling pathway that promotes colorectal cancer metastasis via β -catenin stabilization-induced EMT

RIP1 (receptor-interacting protein kinase 1) is an important component of TNF-α signaling that contributes to various pathological effects. Here, we revealed new potential roles of RIP1 in controlling WNT/β-catenin canonical signaling to enhance metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). First, we showed that WNT3A treatment sequentially increased the expression of RIP1 and β-catenin. Immunohistochemical analyses of human CRC tissue arrays consisting of normal, primary, and metastatic cancers indicated that elevated RIP1 expression might be related to β-catenin expression, carcinogenesis, and metastasis. Intravenous injection of RIP1 over-expressed CRC cells into mice has demonstrated that RIP1 may promote metastasis. Immunoprecipitation (IP) results indicated that WNT3A treatment induces direct binding between RIP1 and β-catenin, and that this stabilizes the β-catenin protein in a manner that depends on the regulation of RIP1 ubiquitination via downregulation of the E3 ligase, cIAP1/2. Elimination of cIAP1/2 expression and inhibition of its ubiquitinase activity enhance WNT3A-induced RIP1 and β-catenin protein expression and binding, which stimulates endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induction to enhance the migration and invasion of CRC cells in vitro. The results of the in vitro binding assay and IP of exogenous RIP1-containing CRC cells additionally verified the direct binding of RIP1 and β-catenin. RIP1 expression can destroy the β-catenin-β-TrCP complex. Taken together, these results suggest a novel EMT-enhancing role of RIP1 in the WNT pathway and suggest a new canonical WNT3A-RIP1-β-catenin pathway that contributes to CRC malignancy by promoting EMT.

The Diagnosis and Management of Cutaneous Metastases from Melanoma

Melanoma is one of the deadliest skin tumors, accounting for almost 90% of skin cancer mortality. Although immune therapy and targeted therapy have dramatically changed the prognosis of metastatic melanoma, many patients experience disease progression despite the currently available new treatments. Skin metastases from melanoma represent a relatively common event as first sign of advanced disease or a sign of recurrence. Skin metastases are usually asymptomatic, although in advanced stages, they can present with ulceration, bleeding, and superinfection; furthermore, they can cause symptoms related to compression on nearby tissues. Treatments vary from simple surgery resections to topical or intralesional local injections, or a combination of these techniques with the most recent systemic immune or target therapies. New research and studies should focus on the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of the cutaneous metastases of melanoma in order to shed light on the mechanisms underlying the different behavior and prognoses of different patients.

[High expression of CAMSAP2 promotes invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer cells by upregulating TGF-β signaling]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of calmodulin-regulated spectrin-associated protein 2 (CAMSAP2) in gastric cancer and its effect on gastric cancer cell invasion and metastasis.

METHODS

The association of CAMSAP2 expression levels with progression and prognosis of gastric cancer was analyzed using public cancer data and in 106 patients receiving radical gastrectomy in our hospital from October, 2013 to October, 2017. The biological functions of CAMSAP2 were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Gastric cancer MGC803 cells with CAMSAP2 overexpression and knockdown were observed for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion. A nude mouse model bearing orthotopic gastric cancer cell xenografts was established for verifying the results and exploring the underlying molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

Gastric cancer tissues expressed high levels of CAMSAP2, which were positively correlated with CEA and CA19-9 (P<0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that CAMSAP2 expression level was an independent risk factor affecting the 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients (HR=2.969, 95% CI: 1.031-8.548). Enrichment analysis suggested that CAMSAP2 was involved in epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) and TGF-β signaling. In gastric cancer cells, CAMSAP2 overexpression significantly increased the expressions of vimentin and N-cadherin, inhibited the expression of E-cadherin, and enhanced cell migration and invasion (P<0.05); CAMSAP2 knockdown produced the opposite effects in the cells (P<0.05). In the tumor- bearing mice, xenografts overexpressing CAMSAP2 showed enhanced metastasis (P<0.05), increased vimentin and N-cadherin expressions and lowered E-cadherin expression (P<0.05), and the xenografts with CAMSAP2 knockdown showed the opposite changes (P<0.05). Both the in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that CAMSAP2 overexpression increased and CAMSAP2 knockdown lowered the levels of TGF-β and p-Smad2/3 in the gastric cancer cells (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The high expression of CAMSAP2 contributes to disease progression and poor prognosis of gastric cancer possibly by upregulating TGF-β signaling to promote EMT.

Metastasis organotropism in colorectal cancer: advancing toward innovative therapies

Distant metastasis remains a leading cause of mortality among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Organotropism, referring to the propensity of metastasis to target specific organs, is a well-documented phenomenon in CRC, with the liver, lungs, and peritoneum being preferred sites. Prior to establishing premetastatic niches within host organs, CRC cells secrete substances that promote metastatic organotropism. Given the pivotal role of organotropism in CRC metastasis, a comprehensive understanding of its molecular underpinnings is crucial for biomarker-based diagnosis, innovative treatment development, and ultimately, improved patient outcomes. In this review, we focus on metabolic reprogramming, tumor-derived exosomes, the immune system, and cancer cell-organ interactions to outline the molecular mechanisms of CRC organotropic metastasis. Furthermore, we consider the prospect of targeting metastatic organotropism for CRC therapy.

AZGP1 activation by lenvatinib suppresses intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma epithelial-mesenchymal transition through the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a primary liver malignancy and is characterized by highly aggressive and malignant biological behavior. Currently, effective treatment strategies are limited. The effect of lenvatinib on ICC is unknown. In this study, we found that AZGP1 was the key target of lenvatinib in ICC, and its low expression in ICC cancer tissues was associated with a poor prognosis in patients. Lenvatinib is a novel AZGP1 agonist candidate for ICC that inhibits ICC-EMT by regulating the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway in an AZGP1-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that lenvatinib could increase AZGP1 expression by increasing the acetylation level of H3K27Ac in the promoter region of the AZGP1 gene, thereby inhibiting EMT in ICC cells. In conclusion, lenvatinib activates AZGP1 by increasing the acetylation level of H3K27Ac on the AZGP1 promoter region and regulates the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway in an AZGP1-dependent manner to inhibit ICC-EMT. This study offers new insight into the mechanism of lenvatinib in the treatment of ICC and provides a theoretical basis for new treatment methods.

CSNK1G2-AS1 promotes metastasis, colony formation and serves as a biomarker in testicular germ cell tumor cells

Background/Aim: Some long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to significantly participate in the progression of TGCTs. In comparison to the normal testis, the TGCT tissues showed significantly decreased CSNK1G2-AS1 expression, however, its effect on TGCTs and its mechanism are still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of CSNK1G2-AS1 on TGCTs and explore the mechanism underlying its effect on TGCTs. Materials and Methods: In this study, to evaluate the expression of CSNK1G2-AS1 in tissue samples from TGCTs, the UCSC and GEPIA databases were applied and qRT-PCR was conducted. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter was applied to analyze the correlation between CSNK1G2-AS1 methylation levels and the prognosis of TGCTs patients. The assays of MTS, clone formation, transwell, and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the effect of CSNK1G2-AS1 overexpression on the proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis of TGCT cells, respectively. Finally, western blotting was conducted to determine the expressions of the proteins associated with EMT and AKT. Results: Our study first found that, compared to the normal testis, TGCTs tissue showed significantly decreased CSNK1G2-AS1 expression, and hypomethylation of CSNK1G2-AS1 was significantly correlated with a better prognosis with TGCTs patients. In vitro, we found that overexpression of CSNK1G2-AS1 dramatically promoted the clone formation, invasion, and migration of TGCT cells, but inhibited apoptosis. And CSNK1G2-AS1 overexpression significantly decreased the expression of EMT-associated proteins ZO-1 but increased the expression and phosphorylation of AKT. Conclusions: CSNK1G2-AS1 may play an essential role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of TGCTs through the EMT- and AKT-mediated signal pathways.

(-)-Guaiol inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer via suppressing M2 macrophages mediated STAT3 signaling pathway

In the context of cancer expansion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an essential role in driving invasion and metastasis potential of cancer cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs)-derived factors involved in the initiation and progression of EMT. We assess the role of M2 macrophage in suppressing lung tumors of a natural compound (-)-Guaiol by using macrophage depleted model. Bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMDMs) were extracted and induced to M2-like phenotype in vitro. The co-culture of M2 macrophage and lung cancer cells was established to observe that inhibition of lung tumor growth by (-)-Guaiol requires presence of macrophages. This suppressed effect of (-)-Guaiol was alleviated when mice macrophage was depleted. The expression of M2-like macrophages was strongly reduced by (-)-Guaiol treated mice, but not the changes of M1-like macrophages. In vitro studies, we demonstrated that (-)-Guaiol suppressed M2 polarization of BMDMs, as well as migration, invasion, and EMT of lung cancer cells in co-culture. M2 macrophage-derived interleukin 10 (IL-10) was investigated as a critical signaling molecule between M2 macrophage and lung cancer cells. We have also verified that the mechanism of (-)-Guaiol inhibiting the EMT process of lung cancer is related to the activation of IL-10-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). These results suggested that the suppressive effect role of (-)-Guaiol in M2 macrophage promoting EMT of lung cancer, which was associated with inhibition of IL-10 mediated STAT3 signaling pathway.

Latest advances in clinical studies of circulating tumor cells in early and metastatic breast cancer

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have emerged as a promising biomarker in breast cancer, offering insights into disease progression and treatment response. While CTCs have demonstrated prognostic relevance in early breast cancer, more validation is required to establish optimal cut-off points. In metastatic breast cancer, the detection of CTCs using the Food and Drug Administration-approved CellSearch® system is a strong independent prognostic factor. However, mesenchymal CTCs and the Parsortix® PC1 system show promise as alternative detection methods. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of clinical studies on CTCs in breast cancer, emphasizing their prognostic and predictive value in different stages of the disease and provides insights into potential future directions in CTC research.

IGJ suppresses breast cancer growth and metastasis by inhibiting EMT via the NF‑κB signaling pathway

Breast cancer metastasis is the primary cause of mortality of patients with breast cancer. The present study aimed to explore the role and underlying mechanisms of IGJ in the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was utilized to analyze the differential gene expression profiles in patients with breast cancer with or without metastasis; the target gene, joining chain of multimeric IgA and IgM (JCHAIN, also known as IGJ, as referred to herein), with significant expression and with prognostic value was screened. The expression levels of IGJ in human breast cancer paired tissues and cell lines were detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. IGJ differential expression was detected in paired human breast cancer tissues using immunohistochemistry. The role of IGJ in breast cancer was verified using CCK‑8, invasion and migration assays, and scratch tests in vivo and in vitro. Further exploration of the role and mechanism of IGJ in breast cancer was conducted through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, western blot analysis and immunofluorescence experiments. Through the analysis of gene expression profiles, it was found that IGJ was poorly expressed in patients with breast cancer with metastasis compared to patients with non‑metastatic breast cancer. The overexpression of IGJ was associated with an improved distant metastasis‑free survival and overall survival (OS). COX multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that IGJ was an independent prognostic factor for the OS and relapse‑free survival of patients with breast cancer. In comparison to healthy breast cancer adjacent tissues and cell lines, IGJ was poorly expressed in breast cancer tissues and cell lines (P<0.05). Further analyses indicated that the overexpression of IGJ suppressed the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting the occurrence of epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) and suppressing the nuclear translocation of p65. Finally, rescue experiments indicated that IGJ restricted the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells by regulating the NF‑κB signaling pathway. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that IGJ suppresses the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer by inhibiting both the occurrence of EMT and the NF‑κB signaling pathway. These findings may provide novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Role of Mir-452-5p Overexpression in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Early-stage Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

The microRNA miR-452-5p holds a critical role in the progression of multiple tumor formations, but there is limited understanding regarding the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression and its underlying mechanisms in the early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to explore the change in miRNA expression in early-stage CRC and examine the role of these miRNAs in CRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression levels of miR-452-5p in tissues and cells of early-stage CRC were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, the biological effects of miR-452-5p on CRC were investigated by in vitro functional experiments.

RESULTS

The expression levels of miR-452-5p were found increased in early-stage CRC tissue. We found that miR-452-5p promoted CRC cell proliferation but inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, miR-452-5p promoted cell proliferation through activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway, and inhibited cell invasion through suppression of Slug (Snail2) expression and up-regulation of E-cadherin expression.

CONCLUSION

The expression of miR-452-5p is up-regulated in early CRC and suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition in CRC. These discoveries suggest that miR-452-5p has the potential to serve as a viable therapeutic target for CRC.

The role and function of CLU in cancer biology and therapy

Clusterin (CLU) is a highly evolutionary conserved glycoprotein with multiple isoform-specific functions and is widely distributed in different species. Accumulated evidence has shown the prominent role of CLU in regulating several essential physiological processes, including programmed cell death, metastasis, invasion, proliferation and cell growth via regulating diverse signaling pathways to mediate cancer progression in various cancers, such as prostate, breast, lung, liver, colon, bladder and pancreatic cancer. Several studies have revealed the potential benefit of inhibiting CLU in CLU inhibition-based targeted cancer therapies in vitro, in vivo or in human, suggesting CLU is a promising therapeutic target. This review discusses the multiple functions and mechanisms of CLU in regulating tumor progression of various cancers and summarizes the inhibitors of CLU used in CLU inhibition-based targeted cancer therapies.

SAFB2 Inhibits the Progression of Breast Cancer by Suppressing the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway via NFAT5

Aberrant scaffold attachment factor-B2 (SAFB2) expression is associated with several malignant tumors. In this study, we investigated how SAFB2 worked in the process of breast cancer as well as the underlying mechanism. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting analysis were used to investigate the expression of SAFB2 and nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5). Cellular proliferative ability was detected with cell counting kit 8 (CCK8), colony formation and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining assays. Cell apoptosis was measured via flow cytometry and western blotting analysis. Wound healing, transwell assays, and western blotting analysis were executed to estimate cell migration and invasion. The relationship between SAFB2 and NFAT5 was verified by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and NFAT5 mRNA stability was examined with actinomycin (Act) D assay. Western blotting analysis also tested the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling-associated proteins. As a result, SAFB2 was downregulated in breast cancer cell lines, while NFAT5 was highly expressed in most breast cancer cell lines. Overexpression of SAFB2 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion while exacerbated the apoptosis of breast cancer cells. SAFB2 interacted with NFAT5 mRNA and declined the stability of NFAT5 mRNA. Overexpression of NFAT5 counteracted anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and pro-apoptotic effects of SAFB2 in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, SAFB2 overexpression inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, while this effect was partially eliminated by NFAT5. Collectively, SAFB2 hindered breast cancer development and inactivated Wnt/β-catenin signaling via regulation of NFAT5, suggesting that SAFB2 might be a promising therapeutic target for breast cancer.

SOX9 knockout decreases stemness properties in colorectal cancer cells

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) participates in organogenesis and cell differentiation in normal tissues but has been involved in carcinogenesis development. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small population of cells present in solid tumors that contribute to increased tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, chemoresistance, and relapse. CSCs have properties such as self-renewal and differentiation, which can be modulated by many factors. Currently, the role of SOX9 in the maintenance of the stem phenotype has not been well elucidated, thus, in this work we evaluated the effect of the absence of SOX9 in the stem phenotype of CRC cells.

Methods

We knockout (KO) SOX9 in the undifferentiated CRC cell line HCT116 and evaluated their stemness properties using sphere formation assay, differentiation assay, and immunophenotyping.

Results

SOX9-KO affected the epithelial morphology of HCT116 cells and stemness characteristics such as its pluripotency signature with the increase of SOX2 as a compensatory mechanism to induce SOX9 expression, the increase of KLF4 as a differentiation feature, as well as the inhibition of the stem cell markers CD44 and CD73. In addition, SOX9-KO cells gain the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype with a significant upregulation of CDH2. Furthermore, our results showed a remarkable effect on first- and second-sphere formation, being SOX9-KO cells less capable of forming high-size-resistant spheres. Nevertheless, CSCs surface markers were not affected during the differentiation assay.

Conclusions

Collectively, our findings supply evidence that SOX9 promotes the maintenance of stemness properties in CRC-CSCs.

A pan-cancer analysis of lipid metabolic alterations in primary and metastatic cancers

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancers, but pan-cancer level roles of lipid metabolism in cancer development are remains poorly understood. We investigated the possible roles of lipid metabolic genes (LMGs) in 14 cancer types. The results indicate that: (1) there is strong evidence for increased lipid metabolism in THCA and KICH. (2) Although the overall levels of lipid metabolic processes are down-regulated in some cancer types, fatty acid synthase activity and fatty acid elongation are moderately up-regulated in more than half of the cancer types. Cholesterol synthesis is up-regulated in five cancers including KICH, BLCA, COAD, BRCA, UCEC, and THCA. (3) The catabolism of cholesterols, triglycerides and fatty acids is repressed in most cancers, but a specific form of lipid degradation, lipophagy, is activated in THCA and KICH. (4) Lipid storage is enhanced in in kidney cancers and thyroid cancer. (5) Similarly to primary tumors, metastatic tumors tend to up-regulate biosynthetic processes of diverse lipids, but down-regulate lipid catabolic processes, except lipophagy. (6) The frequently mutated lipid metabolic genes are not key LMGs. (7) We established a LMG-based model for predicting cancer prognosis. Our results are helpful in expanding our understanding of the role of lipid metabolism in cancer.

Pancancer network analysis reveals key master regulators for cancer invasiveness

BACKGROUND

Tumor invasiveness reflects numerous biological changes, including tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. To decipher the role of transcriptional regulators (TR) involved in tumor invasiveness, we performed a systematic network-based pan-cancer assessment of master regulators of cancer invasiveness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We stratified patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) into invasiveness high (INV-H) and low (INV-L) groups using consensus clustering based on an established robust 24-gene signature to determine the prognostic association of invasiveness with overall survival (OS) across 32 different cancers. We devise a network-based protocol to identify TRs as master regulators (MRs) unique to INV-H and INV-L phenotypes. We validated the activity of MRs coherently associated with INV-H phenotype and worse OS across cancers in TCGA on a series of additional datasets in the Prediction of Clinical Outcomes from the Genomic Profiles (PRECOG) repository.

RESULTS

Based on the 24-gene signature, we defined the invasiveness score for each patient sample and stratified patients into INV-H and INV-L clusters. We observed that invasiveness was associated with worse survival outcomes in almost all cancers and had a significant association with OS in ten out of 32 cancers. Our network-based framework identified common invasiveness-associated MRs specific to INV-H and INV-L groups across the ten prognostic cancers, including COL1A1, which is also part of the 24-gene signature, thus acting as a positive control. Downstream pathway analysis of MRs specific to INV-H phenotype resulted in the identification of several enriched pathways, including Epithelial into Mesenchymal Transition, TGF-β signaling pathway, regulation of Toll-like receptors, cytokines, and inflammatory response, and selective expression of chemokine receptors during T-cell polarization. Most of these pathways have connotations of inflammatory immune response and feasibility for metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Our pan-cancer study provides a comprehensive master regulator analysis of tumor invasiveness and can suggest more precise therapeutic strategies by targeting the identified MRs and downstream enriched pathways for patients across multiple cancers.

SMC1A facilitates gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via promoting SNAIL activated EMT

BACKGROUND

Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1 A (SMC1A) is a crucial subunit of the cohesion protein complex and plays a vital role in cell cycle regulation, genomic stability maintenance, chromosome dynamics. Recent studies demonstrated that SMC1A participates in tumorigenesis. This reseach aims to explore the role and the underlying mechanisms of SMC1A in gastric cancer (GC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RT-qPCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of SMC1A in GC tissues and cell lines. The role of SMC1A on GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were analyzed. Furthermore,the mechanism of SMC1A action was investigated.

RESULTS

SMC1A was highly expressed in GC tissues and cell lines. The high expression of SMC1A indicated the poor overall survival of GC patients from Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Enhancing the expression of SMC1A in AGS cells remarkably promoted cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, migration and invasion, Conversely, knockdown of SMC1A in HGC27 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Moreover, it's observed that SMC1A promoted EMT and malignant cell behaviors via regulating SNAIL.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that SMC1A promotes EMT process by upregulating SNAIL, which contributes to gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Therefore, targeting SMC1A may be a potential strategy to improve GC therapy.

Tailored Beta-Lapachone Nanomedicines for Cancer-Specific Therapy

Nanotechnology shows the power to improve efficacy and reduce the adverse effects of anticancer agents. As a quinone-containing compound, beta-lapachone (LAP) is widely employed for targeted anticancer therapy under hypoxia. The principal mechanism of LAP-mediated cytotoxicity is believed due to the continuous generation of reactive oxygen species with the aid of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). The cancer selectivity of LAP relies on the difference between NQO1 expression in tumors and that in healthy organs. Despite this, the clinical translation of LAP faces the problem of narrow therapeutic window that is challenging for dose regimen design. Herein, the multifaceted anticancer mechanism of LAP is briefly introduced, the advance of nanocarriers for LAP delivery is reviewed, and the combinational delivery approaches to enhance LAP potency in recent years are summarized. The mechanisms by which nanosystems boost LAP efficacy, including tumor targeting, cellular uptake enhancement, controlled cargo release, enhanced Fenton or Fenton-like reaction, and multidrug synergism, are also presented. The problems of LAP anticancer nanomedicines and the prospective solutions are discussed. The current review may help to unlock the potential of cancer-specific LAP therapy and speed up its clinical translation.

Cancer invasion and metastasis: Insights from murine pubertal mammary gland morphogenesis

Cancer invasion and metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer related mortality. A better understanding of the players that drive the aberrant invasion and migration of tumors cells will provide critical targets to inhibit metastasis. Postnatal pubertal mammary gland morphogenesis is characterized by highly proliferative, invasive, and migratory normal epithelial cells. Identifying the molecular regulators of pubertal gland development is a promising strategy since tumorigenesis and metastasis is postulated to be a consequence of aberrant reactivation of developmental stages. In this review, we summarize the pubertal morphogenesis regulators that are involved in cancer metastasis and revisit pubertal mammary gland transcriptome profiling to uncover both known and unknown metastasis genes. Our updated list of pubertal morphogenesis regulators shows that most are implicated in invasion and metastasis. This review highlights molecular linkages between development and metastasis and provides a guide for exploring novel metastatic drivers.

Elafin as a Prognostic Marker in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Pilot Study Using Three-Dimensional Imaging and Genomic Profiling

Esophageal cancers are globally the sixth deadliest malignancy, with limited curative options. The association of high serum elafin levels, a molecule produced by epithelial cells, with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) risk is established, but its link to poor ESCC prognosis remains unclear. To explore this question, we first used three-dimensional confocal imaging to create a model of the spatial distribution of elafin inside locoregional ESCC tissues. Then, after analyzing data obtained from whole-genome microarrays for ESCC cell lines and their more invasive sublines, we performed in vitro experiments using RNA sequencing to identify possible elafin-related pathways. Three-dimensional tissue imaging showed elafin distributed as an interweaved-like fibrous structure in the stroma of tissue obtained from patients with high serum levels of elafin and poorer prognoses. By contrast, the signal was confined inside or around the tumor nest in patients who had lower serum levels and better survival. The analysis of a TCGA dataset revealed that higher levels of elafin mRNA in stage I-IIIA ESCC patients were associated with shorter survival. The in vitro studies revealed that elafin promoted ESCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway. Thus, elafin inhibition could potentially be used therapeutically to improve survival in patients with locoregional ESCC.

The prognostic significance of KLRB1 and its further association with immune cells in breast cancer

Background

Killer cell lectin-like receptor B1 (KLRB1) is an important member of the natural killer cell gene family. This study explored the potential value of KLRB1 as a breast cancer (BC) biomarker and its close association with the tumor immune microenvironment during the development of BC.

Methods

We examined the differential expression of KLRB1 in pan-cancer. Clinical and RNA-Seq data from BC samples were evaluated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and validated in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. The relationship between KLRB1 and clinical parameters was explored through Chi-square tests. The diagnostic value of KLRB1 was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Survival analysis was tested by Kaplan-Meier curves to demonstrate the relationship between KLRB1 and survival. Univariable and multivariate cox regression analyses were carried out as well. The analysis of immune infiltration level and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were conducted to examine KLRB1's mechanism during the progression of BC. We used the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), the Cancer Single-cell Expression Map (CancerSCEM) database, the Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH) database, and the Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) method to explore KLRB1's association with immune infiltration level and different quantitative distribution of immune cells. The relevant signaling pathways in BC associated with KLRB1 were identified using GSEA.

Results

The expression of KLRB1 was downregulated across the majority of cancers including BC. The lower KLRB1 expression group exhibited shorter relapse free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). IHC staining showed that KLRB1 staining was weaker in breast tumor tissues than in paratumors. Additionally, GSEA identified several pathway items distinctly enriched in BC. KLRB1 expression level was also positively related to the infiltrating number of immune cells in BC. Moreover, the CancerSCEM and TISCH databases as well as the CIBERSORT method demonstrated the close relationship between KLRB1 and immune cells, particularly macrophages.

Conclusion

Low KLRB1 expression was considered an independent prognostic biomarker and played an important role in the tumor immune microenvironment of BC patients.

Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Gene Signature in Circulating Melanoma Cells: Biological and Clinical Relevance

The most promising method for monitoring patients with minimal morbidity is the detection of circulating melanoma cells (CMCs). We have shown that CD45^-CD146⁺ABCB5⁺ CMCs identify a rare primitive stem/mesenchymal CMCs population associated with disease progression. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) confers cancer cells a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal phenotype promoting metastatization. Thus, we investigated the potential clinical value of the EMT gene signature of these primitive CMCs. A reliable quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) protocol was settled up using tumor cell lines RNA dilutions. Afterwards, immune-magnetically isolated CMCs from advanced melanoma patients, at onset and at the first checkpoint (following immune or targeted therapy), were tested for the level of EMT hallmarks and EMT transcription factor genes. Despite the small cohort of patients, we obtained promising results. Indeed, we observed a deep gene rewiring of the EMT investigated genes: in particular we found that the EMT gene signature of isolated CMCs correlated with patients' clinical outcomes. In conclusion, We established a reliable qRT-PCR protocol with high sensitivity and specificity to characterize the gene expression of isolated CMCs. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence demonstrating the impact of immune or targeted therapies on EMT hallmark gene expressions in CMCs from advanced melanoma patients.

Extracellular vesicles in the treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer: a status update

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women. Currently, the treatment of breast cancer is limited by the lack of effectively targeted therapy and patients often suffer from higher severity, metastasis, and resistance. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) consist of lipid bilayers that encapsulate a complex cargo, including proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites. These bioactive cargoes have been found to play crucial roles in breast cancer initiation and progression. Moreover, EV cargoes play pivotal roles in converting mammary cells to carcinogenic cells and metastatic foci by extensively inducing proliferation, angiogenesis, pre-metastatic niche formation, migration, and chemoresistance. The present update review mainly discusses EVs cargoes released from breast cancer cells and tumor-derived EVs in the breast cancer microenvironment, focusing on proliferation, metastasis, chemoresistance, and their clinical potential as effective biomarkers.

CDC23 knockdown suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of liver cancer via the EMT process

Liver cancer (LC) is a malignant tumour that is associated with high mortality rates worldwide. Cell division cycle 23 (CDC23) acts as an oncogene in papillary thyroid cancer. In addition, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is frequently involved in the malignant metastasis of various cancer types. Therefore, we hypothesized that CDC23 may regulate the malignant biological behaviours of LC cells through EMT. Proliferation, colony formation and Transwell assays, western blotting and xenograft experiments were performed. The results of the present study showed that CDC23 was highly expressed in LC cell lines. In addition, it was found via multiple in vitro assays that CDC23 knockdown reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion of LC cell lines. Finally, an in vivo study confirmed that CDC23 knockdown inhibited the growth of xenograft LC in nude mice. More importantly, the changes in the levels of EMT-related marker proteins were analysed in the sh-CDC23 group compared with the sh-NC group of cells and xenografts. E-cadherin was upregulated, and N-cadherin and vimentin were significantly downregulated after CDC23 silencing. Taken together, these results revealed that the knockdown of CDC23 inhibits the progression of LC by regulating EMT and that CDC23 may be a novel therapeutic target for LC.

Circulating tumour cells for early detection of clinically relevant cancer

Given that cancer mortality is usually a result of late diagnosis, efforts in the field of early detection are paramount to reducing cancer-related deaths and improving patient outcomes. Increasing evidence indicates that metastasis is an early event in patients with aggressive cancers, often occurring even before primary lesions are clinically detectable. Metastases are usually formed from cancer cells that spread to distant non-malignant tissues via the blood circulation, termed circulating tumour cells (CTCs). CTCs have been detected in patients with early stage cancers and, owing to their association with metastasis, might indicate the presence of aggressive disease, thus providing a possible means to expedite diagnosis and treatment initiation for such patients while avoiding overdiagnosis and overtreatment of those with slow-growing, indolent tumours. The utility of CTCs as an early diagnostic tool has been investigated, although further improvements in the efficiency of CTC detection are required. In this Perspective, we discuss the clinical significance of early haematogenous dissemination of cancer cells, the potential of CTCs to facilitate early detection of clinically relevant cancers, and the technological advances that might improve CTC capture and, thus, diagnostic performance in this setting.

GPX2 promotes EMT and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR/Snail signaling axis

Lung cancer, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the main subtype, is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, which is mainly due to the cancer metastasis. Glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2), an antioxidant enzyme, is involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Nevertheless, the role of GPX2 in NSCLC metastasis has not been clarified. In this study, we found that GPX2 expression was elevated in NSCLC tissues and high GPX2 expression was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC. In addtion, GPX2 expression was related to the patient's clinicopathological features, including lymph node metastasis, tumor size, and TNM stage. Overexpression of GPX2 promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro. Knockdown of GPX2 showed the opposite effects in vitro and inhibited the metastasis of NSCLC cells in nude mice. Furthermore, GPX2 reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/Snail signaling axis. Therefore, our results indicate that GPX2 promotes EMT and metastasis of NSCLC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/Snail signaling axis via the removal of ROS. GPX2 may be an effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Expression of miR-152 in cervical cancer and its influence on cisplatin resistance

Background

Cervical cancer has a high mortality rate.

Aim

We aimed to study the expression of micro ribonucleic acid 152 (miR-152) in cervical cancer and its influence on cisplatin (DDP) resistance.

Methodology

Cervical cancer Hela cells were divided into control, DDP, DDP + mimic nc and DDP + miR-152 mimic groups.

Results

DDP, DDP + mimic nc and DDP + miR-152 mimic groups had lower cell survival rate, smaller number of single clones and cells penetrating the membrane, and higher apoptosis rate and miR-152 expression than those of the control group (P<0.05). Compared with DDP and DDP + mimic nc groups, the cell survival rate, number of single clones and number of cells penetrating the membrane significantly decreased, while the apoptosis rate and miR-152 expression increased in the DDP + miR-152 mimic group (P<0.05). ERBB3 was a downstream target gene of miR-152. Hela cells transfected with miR-152 mimic had lower protein expressions of Snail, ERBB3, Akt2, p-Akt and c-myc than those of NC cells (P<0.05).

Conclusion

MiR-152 suppresses the proliferation, migration and infiltration of cervical cancer cells and reduces their resistance to DDP chemotherapy by inhibiting the expressions of proteins in the ERBB3/Akt/c-myc and ERBB3/Akt/Snail pathways.

Extracellular vesicles in oral squamous cell carcinoma: current progress and future prospect

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most aggressive oral and maxillofacial malignancy with a high incidence and low survival rate. OSCC is mainly diagnosed by tissue biopsy, which is a highly traumatic procedure with poor timeliness. Although there are various options for treating OSCC, most of them are invasive and have unpredictable therapeutic outcomes. Generally, early diagnosis and noninvasive treatment cannot be always satisfied simultaneously in OSCC. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in intercellular communication. EVs facilitate disease progression and reflect the location and status of the lesions. Therefore, EVs are relatively less invasive diagnostic tools for OSCC. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which EVs are involved in tumorigenesis and tumor treatment have been well studied. This article dissects the involvement of EVs in the diagnosis, development, and treatment of OSCC, providing new insight into the treatment of OSCC by EVs. Different mechanisms, such as inhibiting EV internalization by OSCC cells and constructing engineered vesicles, with potential applications for treating OSCC will be discussed in this review article.

Loss of PRDX6 Aborts Proliferative and Migratory Signaling in Hepatocarcinoma Cell Lines

Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6), the only mammalian 1-Cys member of the peroxiredoxin family, has peroxidase, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) acyltransferase (LPCAT) activities. It has been associated with tumor progression and cancer metastasis, but the mechanisms involved are not clear. We constructed an SNU475 hepatocarcinoma cell line knockout for PRDX6 to study the processes of migration and invasiveness in these mesenchymal cells. They showed lipid peroxidation but inhibition of the NRF2 transcriptional regulator, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic reprogramming, an altered cytoskeleton, down-regulation of PCNA, and a diminished growth rate. LPC regulatory action was inhibited, indicating that loss of both the peroxidase and PLA2 activities of PRDX6 are involved. Upstream regulators MYC, ATF4, HNF4A, and HNF4G were activated. Despite AKT activation and GSK3β inhibition, the prosurvival pathway and the SNAI1-induced EMT program were aborted in the absence of PRDX6, as indicated by diminished migration and invasiveness, down-regulation of bottom-line markers of the EMT program, MMP2, cytoskeletal proteins, and triggering of the "cadherin switch". These changes point to a role for PRDX6 in tumor development and metastasis, so it can be considered a candidate for antitumoral therapies.

HIF-1-Induced hsa-miR-429: Understanding Its Direct Targets as the Key to Developing Cancer Diagnostics and Therapies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the regulation of mRNA stability and translation. In spite of our present knowledge on the mechanisms of mRNA regulation by miRNAs, the utilization and translation of these ncRNAs into clinical applications have been problematic. Using hsa-miR-429 as an example, we discuss the limitations encountered in the development of efficient miRNA-related therapies and diagnostic approaches. The miR-200 family members, which include hsa-miR-429, have been shown to be dysregulated in different types of cancer. Although these miR-200 family members have been shown to function in suppressing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, tumor metastasis, and chemoresistance, the experimental results have often been contradictory. These complications involve not only the complex networks involving these noncoding RNAs, but also the problem of identifying false positives. To overcome these limitations, a more comprehensive research strategy is needed to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying their biological role in mRNA regulation. Here, we provide a literature analysis of the verified hsa-miR-429 targets in various human research models. A meta-analysis of this work is presented to provide better insights into the role of hsa-miR-429 in cancer diagnosis and any potential therapeutic approach.

Synergistic inter-clonal cooperation involving crosstalk, co-option and co-dependency can enhance the invasiveness of genetically distant cancer clones

BACKGROUND

Despite intensive research, cancer remains a major health problem. The difficulties in treating cancer reflect the complex nature of this disease, including high levels of heterogeneity within tumours. Intra-tumour heterogeneity creates the conditions for inter-clonal competition and selection, which could result in selective sweeps and a reduction in levels of heterogeneity. However, in addition to competing, cancer clones can also cooperate with each other, and the positive effects of these interactions on the fitness of clones could actually contribute to maintaining the heterogeneity of tumours. Consequently, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and pathways involved in such activities is of great significance for cancer treatment. This is particularly relevant for metastasis (i.e., tumor cell migration, invasion, dispersal and dissemination), which is the most lethal phase during cancer progression. To explore if and how genetically distant clones can cooperate during migration and invasion, this study used three distinct cancer cell lines with different metastatic potentials.

RESULTS

We found that (i) the conditioned media from two invasive lines (breast and lung) increased the migration and invasion potential of a poorly metastatic line (breast), and (ii) this inter-clonal cooperative interaction involved the TGF-β1 signalling pathway. Furthermore, when the less aggressive line was co-cultured with the highly metastatic breast line, the invasive potential of both lines was enhanced, and this outcome was dependent on the co-option (through TGF-β1 autocrine-paracrine signalling) of the weakly metastatic clone into expressing an enhanced malignant phenotype that benefited both clones (i.e., a "help me help you" strategy).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our findings, we propose a model in which crosstalk, co-option, and co-dependency can facilitate the evolution of synergistic cooperative interactions between genetically distant clones. Specifically, we suggest that synergistic cooperative interactions can easily emerge, regardless of the degree of overall genetic/genealogical relatedness, via crosstalk involving metastatic clones able to constitutively secrete molecules that induce and maintain their own malignant state (producer-responder clones) and clones that have the ability to respond to those signals (responder clones) and express a synergistic metastatic behaviour. Taking into account the lack of therapies that directly affect the metastatic process, interfering with such cooperative interactions during the early steps in the metastatic cascade could provide additional strategies to increase patient survival.

Macrophages in immunoregulation and therapeutics

Macrophages exist in various tissues, several body cavities, and around mucosal surfaces and are a vital part of the innate immune system for host defense against many pathogens and cancers. Macrophages possess binary M1/M2 macrophage polarization settings, which perform a central role in an array of immune tasks via intrinsic signal cascades and, therefore, must be precisely regulated. Many crucial questions about macrophage signaling and immune modulation are yet to be uncovered. In addition, the clinical importance of tumor-associated macrophages is becoming more widely recognized as significant progress has been made in understanding their biology. Moreover, they are an integral part of the tumor microenvironment, playing a part in the regulation of a wide variety of processes including angiogenesis, extracellular matrix transformation, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, immunosuppression, and resistance to chemotherapeutic and checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. Herein, we discuss immune regulation in macrophage polarization and signaling, mechanical stresses and modulation, metabolic signaling pathways, mitochondrial and transcriptional, and epigenetic regulation. Furthermore, we have broadly extended the understanding of macrophages in extracellular traps and the essential roles of autophagy and aging in regulating macrophage functions. Moreover, we discussed recent advances in macrophages-mediated immune regulation of autoimmune diseases and tumorigenesis. Lastly, we discussed targeted macrophage therapy to portray prospective targets for therapeutic strategies in health and diseases.

The Role of Irisin/FNDC5 Expression and Its Serum Level in Breast Cancer

Irisin (Ir) is an adipomyokine formed from fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5), which can be found in various cancer tissues. Additionally, FNDC5/Ir is suspected of inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. This relationship has been poorly studied for breast cancer (BC). The ultrastructural cellular localizations of FNDC5/Ir were examined in BC tissues and BC cell lines. Furthermore, we compared serum levels of Ir with FNDC5/Ir expression in BC tissues. The aim of this study was to examine the levels of EMT markers, such as E-cadherin, N-cadherin, SNAIL, SLUG, and TWIST, and to compare their expression levels with FNDC5/Ir in BC tissues. Tissue microarrays with 541 BC samples were used to perform immunohistochemical reactions. Serum levels of Ir were assessed in 77 BC patients. We investigated FNDC5/Ir expression and ultrastructural localization in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 BC cell lines and in the normal breast cell line (Me16c), which was used as the control. FNDC5/Ir was present in BC cell cytoplasm and tumor fibroblasts. FNDC5/Ir expression levels in BC cell lines were higher compared to those in the normal breast cell line. Serum Ir levels did not correlate with FNDC5/Ir expression in BC tissues but were associated with lymph node metastasis (N) and histological grade (G). We found that FNDC5/Ir correlated moderately with E-cadherin and SNAIL. Higher Ir serum level is associated with lymph node metastasis and increased grade of malignancy. FNDC5/Ir expression is associated with E-cadherin expression level.

Mechanobiology and survival strategies of circulating tumor cells: a process towards the invasive and metastatic phenotype

Metastatic progression is the deadliest feature of cancer. Cancer cell growth, invasion, intravasation, circulation, arrest/adhesion and extravasation require specific mechanical properties to allow cell survival and the completion of the metastatic cascade. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) come into contact with the capillary bed during extravasation/intravasation at the beginning of the metastatic cascade. However, CTC mechanobiology and survival strategies in the bloodstream, and specifically in the microcirculation, are not well known. A fraction of CTCs can extravasate and colonize distant areas despite the biomechanical constriction forces that are exerted by the microcirculation and that strongly decrease tumor cell survival. Furthermore, accumulating evidence shows that several CTC adaptations, via molecular factors and interactions with blood components (e.g., immune cells and platelets inside capillaries), may promote metastasis formation. To better understand CTC journey in the microcirculation as part of the metastatic cascade, we reviewed how CTC mechanobiology and interaction with other cell types in the bloodstream help them to survive the harsh conditions in the circulatory system and to metastasize in distant organs.

MBD2 facilitates tumor metastasis by mitigating DDB2 expression

Despite past extensive studies, the pathoetiologies underlying tumor metastasis remain poorly understood, which renders its treatment largely unsuccessful. The methyl-CpG-binding domain 2 (MBD2), a "reader" to interpret DNA methylome-encoded information, has been noted to be involved in the development of certain types of tumors, while its exact impact on tumor metastasis remains elusive. Herein we demonstrated that patients with LUAD metastasis were highly correlated with enhanced MBD2 expression. Therefore, knockdown of MBD2 significantly attenuated the migration and invasion of LUAD cells (A549 and H1975 cell lines) coupled with attenuated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, similar results were observed in other types of tumor cells (B16F10). Mechanistically, MBD2 selectively bound to the methylated CpG DNA within the DDB2 promoter, by which MBD2 repressed DDB2 expression to promote tumor metastasis. As a result, administration of MBD2 siRNA-loaded liposomes remarkably suppressed EMT along with attenuated tumor metastasis in the B16F10 tumor-bearing mice. Collectively, our study indicates that MBD2 could be a promising prognostic marker for tumor metastasis, while administration of MBD2 siRNA-loaded liposomes could be a viable therapeutic approach against tumor metastasis in clinical settings.

NADK-mediated de novo NADP(H) synthesis is a metabolic adaptation essential for breast cancer metastasis

Metabolic reprogramming and metabolic plasticity allow cancer cells to fine-tune their metabolism and adapt to the ever-changing environments of the metastatic cascade, for which lipid metabolism and oxidative stress are of particular importance. NADPH is a central co-factor for both lipid and redox homeostasis, suggesting that cancer cells may require larger pools of NADPH to efficiently metastasize. NADPH is recycled through reduction of NADP⁺ by several enzymatic systems in cells; however, de novo NADP⁺ is synthesized only through one known enzymatic reaction, catalyzed by NAD⁺ kinase (NADK). Here, we show that NADK is upregulated in metastatic breast cancer cells enabling de novo production of NADP(H) and the expansion of the NADP(H) pools thereby increasing the ability of these cells to adapt to the challenges of the metastatic cascade and efficiently metastasize. Mechanistically, we found that metastatic signals lead to a histone H3.3 variant-mediated epigenetic regulation of the NADK promoter, resulting in increased NADK levels in cells with metastatic ability. Together, our work presents a previously uncharacterized role for NADK and de novo NADP(H) production as a contributor to breast cancer progression and suggests that NADK constitutes an important and much needed therapeutic target for metastatic breast cancers.

Significance of circulating tumor cells in lung cancer: a narrative review

Background and Objective

In cancer patients, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are employed as "Liquid Biopsy" for tumor detection, prognosis and assessment of the response to therapy. CTCs are responsible for tumor dissemination but the mechanisms involved in intravasation, survival in the circulation and extravasation at secondary sites to establish metastases are not fully characterized. In lung cancer patients, CTCs are present in very high numbers in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that is found disseminated in most patients upon first presentation and has a dismal prognosis. This review aims at the discussion of recent work on metastatic SCLC and novel insights into the process of dissemination derived from the access to a panel of unique SCLC CTC lines.

Methods

PubMed and Euro PMC were searched from January 1st, 2015 to September 23th, 2022 using the following key words: "SCLC", "NSCLC", "CTC" and "Angiogenesis" and supplemented by data from our own work.

Key Content and Findings

Experimental and clinical data indicate that the intravasation of single, apoptotic or clustered CTCs occur via leaky neoangiogenetic vessels in the tumor core and not via crossing of the adjacent tumor stroma after EMT. Furthermore, in lung cancer only EpCAM-positive CTCs have been found to have prognostic impact. All our established SCLC CTC lines form spontaneously EpCAM-positive large and chemoresistant spheroids (tumorospheres) that may become trapped in microvessels in vivo and are suggested to extravasate by physical force. The rate-limiting step of the shedding of CTCs is most likely the presence of irregular and leaky tumor vessels or in case of SCLC, also via vessels formed by vasculogenic mimicry. Therefore, lower microvessel densities (MVD) in NSCLC can explain the relative rarity of CTCs in NSCLC versus SCLC.

Conclusions

The detection of CTCs lacks standardized techniques, is difficult in non-metastatic patients and important cell biological mechanisms of dissemination need still to be resolved, especially in respect to the actual metastasis-inducing cells. Expression of VEGF and the MVD are key prognostic indicators for tumors and ultimately, enumeration of CTCs seems to reflect neoangiogenetic vascular supply of tumors and prognosis.

An insight into the associations between microRNA expression and mitochondrial functions in cancer cell and cancer stem cell

The self-renew ability of cancer stem cells (CSCs) continues to challenge our determination for accomplishing cancer therapy breakthrough. Ineffectiveness of current cancer therapies to eradicate CSCs has contributed to chemoresistance and tumor recurrence. Yet, the discoveries of highly effective therapies have not been thoroughly developed. Further insights into cancer metabolomics and gene-regulated mechanisms of mitochondria in CSCs can expedite the development of novel anticancer drugs. In cancer cells, the metabolism is reprogrammed from oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to glycolysis. This alteration allows the cancer cell to receive continuous energy supplies and avoid apoptosis. The pyruvate obtained from glycolysis produces acetyl-coenzyme A (Acetyl-CoA) via oxidative decarboxylation and enters the tricarboxylic acid cycle for adenosine triphosphate generation. Mitochondrial calcium ion (Ca²⁺) uptake is responsible for mitochondrial physiology regulation, and reduced uptake of Ca²⁺  inhibits apoptosis and enhances cell survival in cancer. There have been many discoveries of mitochondria-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) stimulating the metabolic alterations in mitochondria via gene regulation which promote cancer cell survival. These miRNAs are also found in CSCs where they regulate genes and activate different mechanisms to destroy the mitochondria and enhance CSCs survival. By targeting the miRNAs that induced mitochondrial destruction, the mitochondrial functions can be restored; thus, it triggers CSCs apoptosis and completely eliminates the CSCs. In general, this review article aims to address the associations between miRNAs with mitochondrial activities in cancer cells and cancer stem cells that support cancer cell survival and self-renewal.

IL-18-mediated neutrophil recruitment promotes acute lung injury in inflammation-mediated chronic pancreatitis

Lung injury is the most common secondary complication of pancreatitis and pancreatic malignancy. Around 60-70% of pancreatitis-related deaths are caused by lung injury; however, there is no animal model of the inflammation-mediated progressive pulmonary pathological events that contribute to acute lung injury in chronic pancreatitis (CP). Hence, we developed an inflammation-mediated mouse model and studied the pathological events that have a critical role in promoting the pathogenesis of lung injury. Our proteomic analysis of lung tissue revealed neutrophil-associated induction of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and myeloperoxidase enzyme, further supporting a role for neutrophils in promoting IL-18-associated lung injury. We show that neutrophils released IL-18-induced p-NF-κB along with profibrotic and oncogenic proteins like TTF1, PDX1, and SOX9 in lung tissues of a mouse model of chronic pancreatitis. We also show that neutrophil infiltration induces TGF-β and SMAD4 and activates epithelial cells to produce other profibrotic proteins like ZO-1 and MUC2, along with the fibroblast markers FGF-1 and αSMA, that cause mesenchymal transition and accumulation of extracellular matrix collagen. Most importantly, we present evidence that IL-18 inhibition significantly alleviates CP-induced lung injury. This was further established by the finding that IL-18 gene-deficient mice showed improved lung injury by inhibition of TGF-β and fibroblast to mesenchymal transition and reduced collagen accumulation. The present study suggests that inhibition of IL-18 may be a novel treatment for CP-associated induced acute lung injury.

The challenges and opportunities of αvβ3-based therapeutics in cancer: From bench to clinical trials

Integrins are main cell adhesion receptors serving as linker attaching cells to extracellular matrix (ECM) and bidirectional hubs transmitting biochemical and mechanical signals between cells and their environment. Integrin αvβ3 is a critical family member of integrins and interacts with ECM proteins containing RGD tripeptide sequence. Accumulating evidence indicated that the abnormal expression of integrin αvβ3 was associated with various tumor progressions, including tumor initiation, sustained tumor growth, distant metastasis, drug resistance development, maintenance of stemness in cancer cells. Therefore, αvβ3 has been explored as a therapeutic target in various types of cancers, but there is no αvβ3 antagonist approved for human therapy. Targeting-integrin αvβ3 therapeutics has been a challenge, but lessons from the past are valuable to the development of innovative targeting approaches. This review systematically summarized the structure, signal transduction, regulatory role in cancer, and drug development history of integrin αvβ3, and also provided new insights into αvβ3-based therapeutics in cancer from bench to clinical trials, which would contribute to developing effective targeting αvβ3 agents for cancer treatment.