Serum amyloid A1 in combination with integrin αVβ3 increases glioblastoma cells mobility and progression

SAA1 regulated by S1P/S1PR1 promotes the progression of ESCC via β-catenin activation

Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), an inflammation-related molecule, is associated with the malignant progression of many tumors. This study aimed to investigate the role of SAA1 in the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its molecular mechanisms. The expression of SAA1 in ESCC tissues and cell lines was analyzed using bioinformatics analysis, western blotting, and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT‒qPCR). SAA1-overexpressing or SAA1-knockdown ESCC cells were used to assess the effects of SAA1 on the proliferation, migration, apoptosis of cancer cells and the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice. Western blotting, immunofluorescence and RT‒qPCR were used to investigate the relationship between SAA1 and β-catenin and SAA1 and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P)/sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1). SAA1 was highly expressed in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of SAA1 significantly promoted the proliferation, migration and the growth of tumors in nude mice. Knockdown of SAA1 had the opposite effects and promoted the apoptosis of ESCC cells. Moreover, SAA1 overexpression promoted the phosphorylation of β-catenin at Ser675 and increased the expression levels of the β-catenin target genes MYC and MMP9. Knockdown of SAA1 had the opposite effects. S1P/S1PR1 upregulated SAA1 expression and β-catenin phosphorylation at Ser675 in ESCC cells. In conclusion, SAA1 promotes the progression of ESCC by increasing β-catenin phosphorylation at Ser675, and the S1P/S1PR1 pathway plays an important role in its upstream regulation.

Upregulation of Integrin beta-3 in astrocytes upon Alzheimer's disease progression in the 5xFAD mouse model

Integrins are receptors that have been linked to various brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. While Integrin beta-3 (ITGB3) is known to participate in multiple cellular processes such as adhesion, migration, and signaling, its specific role in AD remains poorly understood, particularly in astrocytes, the main glial cell type in the brain. In this study, we investigated alterations in ITGB3 gene and protein expression during aging in different brain regions of the 5xFAD mouse model of AD and assessed the interplay between ITGB3 and astrocytes. Primary cultures from adult mouse brains were used to gain further insight into the connection between ITGB3 and amyloid beta (Aβ) in astrocytes. In vivo studies showed a correlation between ITGB3 and the astrocytic marker GFAP in the 5xFAD brains, indicating its association with reactive astrocytes. In vitro studies revealed increased gene expression of ITGB3 upon Aβ treatment. Our findings underscore the potential significance of ITGB3 in astrocyte reactivity in the context of Alzheimer's disease.

SAA1 Has Potential as a Prognostic Biomarker Correlated with Cell Proliferation, Migration, and an Indicator for Immune Infiltration of Tumor Microenvironment in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important part in the initiation and development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, an understanding of the immune infiltration in TME is still unknown. Our study aims to explore the correlation between the TME and the clinical features, as well as the prognosis of ccRCC. In the present study, ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT computational methods were applied to calculate the proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and the amount of immune and stromal fractions in the ccRCC form The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then, we sought to find out those immune cell types and genes which may play a significant role and validated them in the GEO database. Furthermore, an immunohistochemical analysis of our external validation dataset was used to detect SAA1 and PDL1 expression in the ccRCC cancer tissues and corresponding normal tissues. Statistical analysis was performed to study the relationship between SAA1 and clinical characteristics, as well as PDL1 expression. Furthermore, a ccRCC cell model with SAA1 knockdown was constructed, which was used for cell proliferation and the migration test. The intersection analysis of the univariate COX and PPI analysis were performed to imply Serum Amyloid A1 (SAA1) as a predictive factor. The expression of SAA1 was significantly negatively correlated to OS and positively correlated to the clinical TMN stage system. The genes in the high-expression SAA1 group were basically enriched in immune-related activities. The proportion of mast cells resting was negatively correlated with SAA1 expression, indicating that SAA1 may be involved in the maintenance of the immune status for the TME. Moreover, the PDL1 expression was positively related to the SAA1 expression and negatively correlated with the patients' prognosis. Further experiments revealed that the knockdown of SAA1 inhibited ccRCC development through suppressing cell proliferation and migration. SAA1 may be a novel marker for the prognosis prediction of ccRCC patients and may play a vital role in the TME by mast cell resting and PDL1 expression. SAA1 has the potential to become a therapeutic target and indicator for immune target therapy in ccRCC treatment.

Deciphering the molecular mechanism of the THBS1 gene in the TNF signaling axis in glioma stem cells

Glioma stem cells (GSCs) are thought to be responsible for the initiation and progression of glioblastoma (GBM). GBM presents highly invasive growth with a very high recurrence rate, so it has become a clinical problem to be solved urgently. RNAseq demonstrates that thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) acts not only in the angiogenic core of glioma but also with a high degree of invasiveness and infiltration. Nevertheless, defects in the signaling pathway research lead to a poor prognosis in glioma patients. To investigate the relevant molecular mechanism and signal pathway of glioma stem cell behavior mediated by THBS1, U251 astroglioma cells and GSCs were taken as model cells for in vitro experiments. The biological effects of THBS1 on glioma proliferation, migration, and adhesion were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK8) assays, EdU incorporation assays, migration assays, Transwell assays, Western blotting, and RNAseq. We found that the knockout of the THBS1 gene by CRISPR/Cas9 promoted proliferation and migration in U251 cells and GSCs, as well as influencing cell cycle progression by regulating the TNF/MAPK/NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways. Moreover, U251 cells and GSCs showed different responses to THBS1 knockout, suggesting specific and potential targets for GSCs in signaling pathways mediated by THBS1.

Observation of the protein expression level via naked eye: Pt clusters catalyze non-color molecules into brown-colored molecules in cells

α _v β ₃ is overexpressed in various tumor cells and plays a key role in tumor genesis, invasion, and metastasis. Therefore, it is of great significance to precisely detect the α _v β ₃ level in cells via a simple method. For this purpose, we have constructed a peptide-coated platinum (Pt) cluster. Due to its bright fluorescence, well-defined Pt atom numbers, and peroxidase-like catalytic activity, this cluster can be used to evaluate α _v β ₃ levels in cells by fluorescence imaging, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and catalytic amplification of visual dyes, respectively. In this report, the expression level of α _v β ₃ in living cells is well-detected by the naked eye under an ordinary light microscope when the Pt cluster binds to αvβ3 in cells and catalyzes non-color 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) into brown-colored molecules in situ. Moreover, SiHa, HeLa, and 16HBE cell lines with different α _v β ₃ expression levels can be visually distinguished by the peroxidase-like Pt clusters. This research will provide a reliable method for the simple detection of α _v β ₃ levels in cells.

SAA1 identified as a potential prediction biomarker for metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via multi-omics approaches

Background

Metastasis is the major cause of high recurrence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Unfortunately, there are few reports on effective biomarkers of HCC metastasis. Previous studies have reported that SAA1 may be a predictor and prognostic biomarker for multiple malignant tumors. However, the role of SAA1 in HCC has not yet been investigated.

Methods

We applied RNA sequencing and proteomics analysis to investigate the expression landscape of HCC cell lines and patient serum, respectively. SAA1 is a common key gene and listed as a candidate biomarker of HCC metastasis. It was validated in two cell lines, 107 participants serum, and 63 matched HCC and adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues. Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets were integrated to explore SAA1 expression among various cell types and organs. The diagnostic and prognostic value of SAA1 in HCC were determined through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier curves. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were constructed for SAA1, as well as for its co-expressed genes. We further analyzed the correlation between SAA1 and co-expression genes.

Results

We found 7 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 14 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were related to HCC metastasis. SAA1, a key candidate biomarker, was highly enriched in hepatocytes and liver organ, and it was also highly expressed in HCC cells and the serum and tissues of HCC patients. The results of ROC curve analysis indicated that SAA1 had better predictive values for distinguishing HCC metastasis from non-metastasis. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that HCC patients with higher SAA1 expression had worse overall survival.

Conclusions

Our findings provide new insights into HCC metastasis by identifying candidate gene prediction biomarkers for HCC metastasis.

Organic Small Molecule Contrast Agent for Targeted Photoacoustic Imaging of Patient-Derived Brain Tumors

Traditional glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines do not maintain the heterogeneity of the original tumor, cell interactions, and therapy response, thus limiting their investigation in GBM theranostics. Herein, a kind of GBM tumor-targeting nanoparticles (NPs) TCFNP@iRGD are designed and constructed, which are generated by photoacoustic (PA) contrast agent 2-(3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethylfuran-2(5H)-ylidene) malononitrile (TCF)-OH through facile nanoprecipitation and decorated with an active targeting ligand iRGD. Their potential in GBM detection via PA imaging on glioma patient-derived cells intracranial xenograft models is evaluated for the first time. Excellent tumor-specific PA mapping performance of GBM is realized by TCFNP@iRGD, demonstrating its promising potential in the clinical diagnosis of GBM.

SAA1 Expression as a Potential Prognostic Marker of the Tumor Microenvironment in Glioblastoma

Background

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain malignant tumor, and patients with GBM have a poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is connected to tumorigenesis and prognosis. However, the TME-related genes and therapeutic targets in GBM are yet to be identified. Thus, the presented study aimed to identify TME-related biomarkers in GBM and develop a novel target for the treatment of the disease.

Methods

ESTIMATE computational methods were utilized to estimate the amounts of stromal and immune components in 697 patients with glioma from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Then, the protein–protein interaction network and univariate Cox regression analyzed the differentially expressed genes. Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) was determined to be a predictive factor. SAA1 expression was statistically significant in GBM compared to the normal samples and other glioma subtypes and negatively associated with survival. Independent prognostic analysis identified SAA1 as a TME-related prognostic factor. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that SAA1 is upregulated in GBM, which was confirmed by the external validation in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. The gene set enrichment analysis in GBM revealed enrichment of immune-related activities in the SAA1 high-expression group, while mitosis and cell cycle were enriched in the low-expression group. CIBERSORT analysis of the tumor-infiltrating immune cell proportion revealed that M2 macrophages, neutrophils, activated mast cells, resting mast cells, and regulatory T cells were correlated with SAA1 expression. Finally, immune checkpoint genes, tumor mutation burden, and drug sensitivity were also analyzed between the high- and low-expression groups.

Conclusion

SAA1 could be a distinctive gene between GBM and other subtype gliomas, and thus a novel biomarker for estimating the survival and TME status. The altered expression level shifts the primary function of SAA1 from cell cycle and mitosis to immune activity. High expression of SAA1 is associated with poor survival and upregulates the expression of LAIR1 and TNFSF14, thereby deeming it as the drug sensitivity indicator for XAV939, TGX-221, and lapatinib in GBM immune therapy.

Regorafenib Reverses Temozolomide-Induced CXCL12/CXCR4 Signaling and Triggers Apoptosis Mechanism in Glioblastoma

Temozolomide (TMZ) monotherapy is known to be insufficient for resistant/relapsed glioblastoma (GBM), thus seeking a sensitization agent for TMZ is necessary. It was found that regorafenib may improve the overall survival of relapsed GBM patients. We aimed to discover whether regorafenib can enhance the anti-GBM effects of TMZ, and elucidate underlying mechanism. Our analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database revealed that the increased expression of CXCR4 is linked to poor survival of GBM patients. Additionally, TMZ treatment may trigger CXCR4/CXCL12 axis of GBM. We used two GBM cell lines, two primary GBM cells, and animal model to identify underlying mechanism and treatment efficacy of regorafenib combined with TMZ by cytotoxicity, apoptosis, reporter gene and invasion/migration assays, chemokine array, Western blotting, MRI, microarray, and immunohistochemistry. We observed that the chemokine CXCL-12 and its receptor CXCR4 regulate the resistance to TMZ, whereas the inhibition of CXCL-12/CXCR4 signaling sensitizes GBM cells to TMZ. The TMZ-induced CXCL-12/CXCR4 signaling, phosphor-extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and NF-κB-related proteins can effectively diminish when combining with regorafenib. Regorafenib significantly enhanced the TMZ-induced extrinsic/intrinsic apoptotic pathways, and facilitated the suppression of invasion and migration potential in GBM. Orthotopic tumor experiments demonstrated tumor size reduction and prolonged survival in combination group even with half-dose of TMZ. Our findings provide promising evidence that regorafenib may sensitize GBM to TMZ treatment through inhibition of the CXCL12/CXCR4/ERK/NF-κB signaling.

Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) drives cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis in cervical cancer via binding to integrin alpha v beta 3

Angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) has been uncovered to play an oncogenic role in several kinds of human malignancies. Nevertheless, whether ANGPTL3 functions in cervical cancer (CC) has not yet been reported. This paper is intended to explore the impact of ANGPTL3 on CC cells and elucidate the potential mechanism. In this study, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to analyze the ANGPTL3 expression. Western blot was also performed to examine integrin αvβ3 protein level. Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay, EdU staining and Western blot analysis. In addition, the migratory and invasive abilities of cells were, respectively, estimated by wound healing and transwell assays. Tube formation assay was performed to determine endothelial cell angiogenesis. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) were measured by ELISA. As a result, ANGPTL3 expression was significantly higher in CC cells relative to that in normal cervical cells. Silencing of ANGPTL3 suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Besides, downregulation of ANGPTL3 inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) angiogenesis and repressed protein level of integrin alpha v beta 3 (αvβ3). Upregulation of αvβ3 offsets the inhibitory effect of ANGPTL3 on proliferation, migration and invasion in CC cells. Upregulated expression of αvβ3 promoted blood vessel formation and secretions of VEGF and VEGFR2. In conclusion, ANGPTL3 silencing may serve as a tumor suppressor in CC through integrin αvβ3, which provides a potentially novel therapeutic target for patients with CC.

Integrated analysis of the genomic and transcriptional profile of gliomas with isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 and tumor protein 53 mutations

Background: The gene mutation of isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) is commonly found in LGG and some GBM patients and usually carries tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutations. However, the underlying mechanisms on both mutations of glioma patients in IDH1 and TP53 are still unclear. Aim: To find the potential target markers in GBM and LGG patients with IDH1 and TP53 mutation.Method: A total of 1122 glioma patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas were enrolled and divided as wild-type (without IDH1 and TP53 mutations) or both mutant (both IDH1 and TP53 mutations). The data of clinicopathological characteristics, mRNA, mutations, and copy number alteration were analyzed. Results: IDH1 and TP53 mutations, not gene expression, affect the survival probability of GBM and LGG patients, which might be related to neuron function, immune function, tumor invasion, and metastasis. The effects of the selected gene (EMILIN3, SAA1, VSTM2A, HAMP, IFT80, and CHIC2) on glioma patients could be regulated by IDH1 and TP53 mutations and had a higher survival possibility in these patients. Conclusions: The selected genes in GBM and LGG patients with IDH1 and TP53 mutations could be a potential prognosis marker in the future.

Magnolol Induces the Extrinsic/Intrinsic Apoptosis Pathways and Inhibits STAT3 Signaling-Mediated Invasion of Glioblastoma Cells

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant brain tumor, with poor prognosis; the efficacy of current standard therapy for GBM remains unsatisfactory. Magnolol, an herbal medicine from Magnolia officinalis, exhibited anticancer properties against many types of cancers. However, whether magnolol suppresses GBM progression as well as its underlying mechanism awaits further investigation. In this study, we used the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) assay, apoptosis marker analysis, transwell invasion and wound-healing assays to identify the effects of magnolol on GBM cells. We also validated the potential targets of magnolol on GBM with the GEPIA (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis) and Western blotting assay. Magnolol was found to trigger cytotoxicity and activate extrinsic/intrinsic apoptosis pathways in GBM cells. Both caspase-8 and caspase-9 were activated by magnolol. In addition, GEPIA data indicated the PKCδ (Protein kinase C delta)/STAT3 (Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) signaling pathway as a potential target of GBM. Magnolol effectively suppressed the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3 in GBM cells. Meanwhile, tumor invasion and migration ability and the associated genes, including MMP-9 (Matrix metalloproteinase-9) and uPA (Urokinase-type plasminogen activator), were all diminished by treatment with magnolol. Taken together, our results suggest that magnolol-induced anti-GBM effect may be associated with the inactivation of PKCδ/STAT3 signaling transduction.

SAA1 is upregulated in gastric cancer-associated fibroblasts possibly by its enhancer activation

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) tend to have tumor-promoting capacity, and can provide therapeutic targets. Even without cancer cells, CAF phenotypes are stably maintained, and DNA methylation and H3K27me3 changes have been shown to be involved. Here, we searched for a potential therapeutic target in primary CAFs from gastric cancer and a mechanism for its dysregulation. Expression microarray using eight CAFs and seven non-CAFs (NCAFs) revealed that serum amyloid A1 (SAA1), which encodes an acute phase secreted protein, was second most upregulated in CAFs, following IGF2. Conditioned medium (CM) derived from SAA1-overexpressing NCAFs was shown to increase migration of gastric cancer cells compared with that from control NCAFs, and its tumor-promoting effect was comparable to that of CM from CAFs. In addition, increased migration of cancer cells by CM from CAFs was mostly canceled with CM from CAFs with SAA1 knockdown. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-quantitative PCR showed that CAFs had higher levels of H3K27ac, an active enhancer mark, in the promoter and the two far upstream regions of SAA1 than NCAFs. Also, BET bromodomain inhibitors, JQ1 and mivebresib, decreased SAA1 expression and tumor-promoting effects in CAFs, suggesting SAA1 upregulation by enhancer activation in CAFs. Our present data showed that SAA1 is a candidate therapeutic target from gastric CAFs and indicated that increased enhancer acetylation is important for its overexpression.

High SAA1 Expression Predicts Advanced Tumors in Renal Cancer

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most frequent malignant tumor of the kidney. 30% of patients with RCC are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common pathological subtype of RCC. Currently, advanced ccRCC lacks reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers. We explored the potential of SAA1 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for advanced ccRCC. In this study, we mined and analyzed the public cancer databases (TCGA, UALCAN and GEPIA) to conclude that SAA1 was up-regulated at mRNA and protein levels in advanced ccRCC. We further found that hypomethylation of SAA1 promoter region was responsible for its high expression in ccRCC. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) indicated that high SAA1 levels could distinguish advanced ccRCC patients from normal subjects (p < 0.0001). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that high SAA1 levels predicted poor overall survival time (p < 0.0001) and poor disease-free survival time (p = 0.0003). Finally, the functional roles of SAA1 were examined using a si-SAA1 knockdown method in RCC cell lines. Our results suggest that SAA1 may possess the potential to serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for advanced ccRCC patients. Moreover, targeting SAA1 may represent as a novel therapeutic target for advanced ccRCC patients.

Comprehensive exploration of tumor mutational burden and immune infiltration in diffuse glioma

BACKGROUND

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been used as a novel treatment for diffuse gliomas, but the efficacy varies with patients, which may be associated with the tumor mutational burden (TMB) and immune infiltration. We aimed to explore the relationship between the two and their impacts on the prognosis.

METHODS

The data of the training set were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). "DESeq2" R package was used for differential analysis and identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A gene risk score model was constructed based on DEGs, and a nomogram was developed combined with clinical features. With the CIBERSORT algorithm, the relationship between TMB and immune infiltration was analyzed, and an immune risk score model was constructed. Two models were verification in the validation set downloaded from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA).

RESULTS

Higher TMB was related to worse prognosis, older age, higher grade, and higher immune checkpoint expression. The gene risk score model was constructed based on BIRC5, SAA1, and TNFRSF11B, and their expressions were all negatively correlated with prognosis. The nomogram was developed combined with age and grade. The immune risk score model was constructed based on M0 macrophages, neutrophils, naïve CD4⁺ T cells, and activated mast cells. The proportions of the first two were higher in the high-TMB group and correlated with worse prognosis, while the latter two were precisely opposite.

CONCLUSIONS

In diffuse gliomas, TMB was negatively correlated with prognosis. The association of immune infiltration with TMB and prognosis varied with the type of immune cells. The nomogram and risk score models can accurately predict prognosis. The results can help identify patients suitable for ICIs and potential therapeutic targets, thus improve the treatment of diffuse gliomas.

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 39 promotes human glioma cells migration and invasion by facilitating ADAM9 mRNA maturation

Glioma cells are characterized by high migration and invasion ability; however, the molecular mechanism behind both processes still remains to be investigated. Several studies have demonstrated that ubiquitin‐specific protease 39 (USP39) plays an oncogenic role in various cancer types. Here, we investigated the expression and function of USP39 in patients with glioma. Oncomine database analysis revealed that high USP39 expression was significantly correlated with poor overall survival in patients with glioma. Knockdown of USP39 in U251 and U87 cell lines significantly inhibited their migration and invasion in vitro. Gene expression profiling of glioma cells transduced with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against USP39 revealed that disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain‐containing protein 9 (ADAM9), a molecule previously related to tumor cell migration and invasion, was significantly downregulated. Furthermore, USP39 induced ADAM9 messenger RNA (mRNA) maturation and decreased the expression of integrin β1. Additionally, overexpression of ADAM9 inhibited the migration and invasion of glioma cells caused by USP39 depletion in vitro. USP39 promoted the invasion of glioma cells in vivo and reduced the overall survival of the mice. Altogether, our data show that USP39 induces mRNA maturation and elevates the expression of ADAM9 in glioma cells and may thus be considered potential target for treating patients with glioma.

SAA1 knockdown promotes the apoptosis of glioblastoma cells via downregulation of AKT signaling

Serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) is an inflammatory associated high-density lipoprotein. And It is also considered as a predictor and prognostic marker of cancer risk. However, its role and mechanisms in glioblastoma (GBM) still unclear. In this study, we validate that SAA1 is up-regulated in GBM, and its high expression predicts poor prognosis. SAA1 knockdown promotes the apoptosis of GBM cell. Mechanistically, SAA1 knockdown can inhibit serine/threonine protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation, thereby regulating the expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl2 and Bax, leading to GBM cell death. Moreover, Gliomas with low SAA1 expression have increased sensitivity to Temozolomide (TMZ). Low SAA1 expression segregated glioma patients who were treated with Temozolomide (TMZ) or with high MGMT promoter methylation into survival groups in TCGA and CGGA dataset. Our study strongly suggested that SAA1 was a regulator of cells apoptosis and acted not only as a prognostic marker but also a novel biomarker of sensitivity of glioma to TMZ.

Targeting Fluorescence Imaging of RGD-Modified Indocyanine Green Micelles on Gastric Cancer

Early diagnosis and complete resection of the tumor is an important way to improve the quality of life of patients with gastric cancer. In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) materials show great potential in fluorescence-based imaging of the tumors. To realize a satisfying intraoperative fluorescence tumor imaging, there are two pre-requirements. One is to obtain a stable agent with a relatively longer circulation time. The second is to make it good biocompatible and specific targeting to the tumor. Here, we developed an RGD-modified Distearyl acylphosphatidyl ethanolamine-polyethylene glycol micelle (DSPE-PEG-RGD) to encapsulate indocyanine green (ICG) for targeting fluorescence imaging of gastric cancer, aimed at realizing tumor-targeted accumulation and NIR imaging. ¹H NMR spectroscopy confirmed its molecular structure. The characteristics and stability results indicated that the DSPE-PEG-RGD@ICG had a relatively uniform size of <200 nm and longer-term fluorescence stability. RGD peptides had a high affinity to integrin α_vβ₃ and the specific targeting effect on SGC7901 was assessed by confocal microscopy in vitro. Additionally, the results of cytotoxicity and blood compatibility in vitro were consistent with the acute toxicity test in vivo, which revealed good biocompatibility. The biodistribution and tumor targeting image of DSPE-PEG-RGD@ICG were observed by an imaging system in tumor-bearing mice. DSPE-PEG-RGD@ICG demonstrated an improved accumulation in tumors and longer circulation time when compared with free ICG or DSPE-PEG@ICG. In all, DSPE-PEG-RGD@ICG demonstrated ideal properties for tumor target imaging, thus, providing a promising way for the detection and accurate resection of gastric cancer.

Influence of gene expression on survival of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Approximately 10%‐20% of patients with clinically localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) at time of surgery will subsequently experience metastatic progression. Although considerable progression was seen in the systemic treatment of metastatic ccRCC in last 20 years, once ccRCC spreads beyond the confines of the kidney, 5‐year survival is less than 10%. Therefore, significant clinical advances are urgently needed to improve overall survival and patient care to manage the growing number of patients with localized ccRCC. We comprehensively evaluated expression of 388 candidate genes related with survival of ccRCC by using TCGA RNAseq (n = 515), Total Cancer Care (TCC) expression array data (n = 298), and a well characterized Moffitt RCC cohort (n = 248). We initially evaluated all 388 genes for association with overall survival using TCGA and TCC data. Eighty‐one genes were selected for further analysis and tested on Moffitt RCC cohort using NanoString expression analysis. Expression of nine genes (AURKA, AURKB, BIRC5, CCNE1, MK167, MMP9, PLOD2, SAA1, and TOP2A) was validated as being associated with poor survival. Survival prognostic models showed that expression of the nine genes and clinical factors predicted the survival in ccRCC patients with AUC value: 0.776, 0.821 and 0.873 for TCGA, TCC and Moffitt data set, respectively. Some of these genes have not been previously implicated in ccRCC survival and thus potentially offer insight into novel therapeutic targets. Future studies are warranted to validate these identified genes, determine their biological mechanisms and evaluate their therapeutic potential in preclinical studies.

EI24 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Drug Resistance of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Drug resistance, whether intrinsic or acquired, often leads to treatment failure in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Clarifying the mechanism of drug resistance in ESCC has great significance for reversing drug resistance, as well as improving the prognosis of patients. Previously, we demonstrated that etoposide-induced 2.4-kb mRNA (EI24) is the target of miR-483-3p, which promoted the growth, migration, and drug resistance in ESCC, suggesting that EI24 participates in repressing the tumorigenesis and progression of ESCC. Here, we observed that EI24 was remarkably decreased in ESCC tissues. Moreover, its expression was directly linked to the prognosis of patients. We then confirmed that the forced overexpression of EI24 repressed cell growth and sensitized ESCC cells to chemotherapeutic agents, whereas EI24 silencing had the opposite effect. Furthermore, gene microarray and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) were performed to establish the potential mechanisms and indicated that EI24 exerts a tumor-suppressive role via suppressing the acute phase response signaling pathway or IL-1 signaling pathway in ESCC. Collectively, our data reveal that EI24 overexpression attenuates malignant phenotypes of ESCC and that it is a novel possible ESCC therapeutic target.

LINC00160 mediates sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma via SAA1 that is implicated in STAT3 activation and compound transportation

Patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who are resistant to sunitinib currently have limited clinical options for treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the biological basis of sunitinib resistance and to uncover new targets for the intervention of sunitinib resistance. In this study, we identified that LINC00160 was associated with sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma. Resistant tumor cells highly expressed LINC00160 to recruit transcriptional factor TFAP2A, which bound to SAA1 promoter regions and activated its expression. On one hand, SAA1 linked to ABCB1 protein, which facilitated sunitinib cellular efflux and diminished drug accumulation. On the other hand, SAA1 stimulated JAK-STAT signaling pathways, which countered cellular survival inhibition from drug. All these regulatory networks were well organized and collaborated, thus promoting sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma. LINC00160 mediates sunitinib resistance in renal cell carcinoma via SAA1 that is implicated in STAT3 activation and compound transportation, which offers an opportunity for targeted intervention and molecular therapies in the future.

RGD-decorated solid lipid nanoparticles enhance tumor targeting, penetration and anticancer effect of asiatic acid

Aim: Asiatic acid (AA) is a promising anticancer agent, however, its delivery to glioblastoma is a major challenge. This work investigates the beneficial therapeutic efficacy of RGD-conjugated solid lipid nanoparticles (RGD-SLNs) for the selective targeting of AA to gliblastoma. Materials & methods: AA-containing RGD-SLNs were prepared using two different PEG-linker size. Targetability and efficacy were tested using monolayer cells and spheroid tumor models. Results: RGD-SLNs significantly improved cytotoxicity of AA against U87-MG monolayer cells and enhanced cellular uptake compared with non-RGD-containing SLNs. In spheroid models, AA-containing RGD-SLNs showed superior control in tumor growth, improved cytotoxicity and enhanced spheroid penetration when compared with AA alone or non-RGD-containing SLNs. Conclusion: This study illustrates the potential of AA-loaded RGD-SLNs as efficacious target-specific treatment for glioblastoma.

Identification of differentially expressed key genes between glioblastoma and low-grade glioma by bioinformatics analysis

Gliomas are a very diverse group of brain tumors that are most commonly primary tumor and difficult to cure in central nervous system. It’s necessary to distinguish low-grade tumors from high-grade tumors by understanding the molecular basis of different grades of glioma, which is an important step in defining new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies. We have chosen the gene expression profile GSE52009 from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database to detect important differential genes. GSE52009 contains 120 samples, including 60 WHO II samples and 24 WHO IV samples that were selected in our analysis. We used the GEO2R tool to pick out differently expressed genes (DEGs) between low-grade glioma and high-grade glioma, and then we used the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery to perform gene ontology analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of gene and genome pathway analysis. Furthermore, we used the Cytoscape search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes with molecular complex detection plug-in applied to achieve the visualization of protein–protein interaction (PPI). We selected 15 hub genes with higher degrees of connectivity, including tissue inhibitors metalloproteinases-1 and serum amyloid A1; additionally, we used GSE53733 containing 70 glioblastoma samples to conduct Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. In conclusion, our bioinformatics analysis showed that DEGs and hub genes may be defined as new biomarkers for diagnosis and for guiding the therapeutic strategies of glioblastoma.

Acute phase reactant serum amyloid A in inflammation and other diseases

Acute-phase reactant serum amyloid A (A-SAA) plays an important role in acute and chronic inflammation and is used in clinical laboratories as an indicator of inflammation. Although both A-SAA and C-reactive protein (CRP) are acute-phase proteins, the detection of A-SAA is more conclusive than the detection of CRP in patients with viral infections, severe acute pancreatitis, and rejection reactions to kidney transplants. A-SAA has greater clinical diagnostic value in patients who are immunosuppressed, patients with cystic fibrosis who are treated with corticoids, and preterm infants with late-onset sepsis. Nevertheless, for the assessment of the inflammation status and identification of viral infection in other pathologies, such as bacterial infections, the combinatorial use of A-SAA and other acute-phase proteins (APPs), such as CRP and procalcitonin (PCT), can provide more information and sensitivity than the use of any of these proteins alone, and the information generated is important in guiding antibiotic therapy. In addition, A-SAA-associated diseases and the diagnostic value of A-SAA are discussed. However, the relationship between different A-SAA isotypes and their human diseases are mostly derived from research laboratories with limited clinical samples. Thus, further clinical evaluations are necessary to confirm the clinical significance of each A-SAA isotype. Furthermore, the currently available A-SAA assays are based on polyclonal antibodies, which lack isotype specificity and are associated with many inflammatory diseases. Therefore, these assays are usually used in combination with other biomarkers in the clinic.

Development of prognostic signature and nomogram for patients with breast cancer

To identify prognostic signature that could predict the survival of patients with breast cancer (BC).Breast cancer samples and normal breast tissues in the TCGA-BRCA and GSE7390 were included. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the "limma" method. Overall survival (OS) associated with DEGs were obtained using univariate and multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis, and the corresponding prognostic signature and nomogram were constructed. Calibration analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed.In all, 742 DEGs were identified, 19 of which were independently correlated with the OS of BC patients. The OS of patients in the 19-gene signature low-risk group was significantly better than that in high-risk group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.3506, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2488-0.4939), and the 19-gene based signature was demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor in patient with BC in the TCGA-BRCA cohort (HR 1.501, 95% CI 1.374-1.640) and validation cohort GSE7392 ((HR 0.3557, 95% CI 0.2155-0.5871, P < .0001)). The primary and internally validated C-indexes for the 19-gene signature-based nomogram were 0.817 and 8.013, respectively. The results of calibration analysis and DCA analysis confirmed the robustness and the clinical usability of the nomogram.We constructed a prognostic signature and nomogram for patient with BC, which showed good application prospect.

Involvement of serum amyloid A1 in the rupture of fetal membranes through induction of collagen I degradation

The de novo synthesis of serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) is augmented in human fetal membranes at parturition. However, its role in parturition remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether SAA1 was involved in the rupture of fetal membranes, a crucial event in parturition accompanied with extensive degradation of collagens. Results showed that SAA1 decreased both intracellular and extracellular COL1A1 and COL1A2 abundance, the two subunits of collagen I, without affecting their mRNA levels in human amnion fibroblasts. These reductions were completely blocked only with inhibition of both matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and autophagy. Consistently, SAA1 increased MMP-2/9 abundance and the markers for autophagic activation including autophagy related (ATG) 7 (ATG7) and the microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 β (LC3B) II/I ratio with the formation of LC3 punctas and autophagic vacuoles in the fibroblasts. Moreover, the autophagic degradation of COL1A1/COL1A2 and activation of MMP-2/9 by SAA1 were blocked by inhibitors for the toll-like receptors 2/4 (TLR2/4) or NF-κB. Finally, reciprocal corresponding changes of SAA1 and collagen I were observed in the amnion following spontaneous rupture of membranes (ROM) at parturition. Conclusively, SAA1 may participate in membrane rupture at parturition by degradating collagen I via both autophagic and MMP pathways. These effects of SAA1 appear to be mediated by the TLR2/4 receptors and the NF-κB pathway.