DRP5 is involved in cancer cell growth and predicts poor prognosis in human osteosarcoma

CRMP5 regulates cell proliferation and development of colorectal cancer via MAPK-dependent signaling

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Collapsin response mediator protein 5 (CRMP5) belongs to a family of five cytosolic proteins that serve a major role in neural development. CRMP5 has been identified as a biomarker of numerous cancer types, including lung cancer and glioblastoma. However, the role of CRMP5 in CRC remains unclear. In the present study, CRMP5 was characterized as a novel biomarker of poor survival in CRC. CRMP5-overexpression in CRC cells promoted cell proliferation and migration while CPMP5-knockdown decreased cell growth and migration. A novel mechanism was uncovered, by which CRMP5 regulates MAPK signaling to drive CRC cell proliferation and development. Furthermore, CRMP5-overexpression induced chemotherapy resistance and tumor recurrence in CRC. Taken together, these results demonstrated the important role of CRMP5 in the development and proliferation of CRC cells and suggested that CRMP5 may be a novel therapeutic target for CRC.

Dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 5 controls glioblastoma stem cell characteristics as a biomarker of proneural-subtype glioblastoma stem cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and malignant brain tumor, resulting in a poor prognosis. The current therapy for GBM consists in concurrent radiation and chemotherapy following removal of the tumor. Although the therapy prolongs patient survival, recurrence often occurs. The major cause of tumor recurrence is thought to be GBM stem cells (GSCs), which aid the development of chemo-radiotherapy resistance, and can self-renew and aberrantly differentiate. Therefore, GSCs should be targeted to eradicate the tumor and prevent recurrence. Transcriptomic analysis has categorized GBM into proneural (PN), mesenchymal and classical subtypes, and the outcome of recurrence and prognosis markedly depends on subtype. To identify specific GSC markers, the present study analyzed public microarray and RNA-seq data and identified dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 5 (DRP5) as a candidate GSC marker. DRP5 is known to mediate semaphorin 3A signaling and is involved in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and axon guidance during neuronal development. In the present study, DRP5 was specifically upregulated in the PN-subtype GSCs and served crucial roles in maintaining GSC properties, including tumor sphere formation, stem cell marker expression and xenograft tumor growth. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis revealed that DRP5 expression was positively correlated with signatures of stemness, including Notch, Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin expression, which are also known to be positively correlated with PN-subtype gene signatures. Conversely, DRP5 expression was negatively correlated with NF-κB and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 stemness signatures, which are negatively correlated with PN-subtype gene signatures. Taken together, these findings suggested that DRP5 was specifically expressed in PN-subtype GSCs and may be used as a functional marker of PN-subtype GSCs.

Expression of CXCR4 and MMP-2 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant tumor with a high tendency to form metastasis and poor prognosis. Consequently, finding effective early indicators of metastases is crucial for identifying and treating high-risk patients. CXCR4 and MMP-2 have been found to strongly correlate with invasion and metastasis of malignant tumors, including osteosarcoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our study evaluated CXCR4 in conjunction with MMP-2 as an important clinicopathological prognostic predictor for metastasis and overall survival of osteosarcoma. 73 patients' clinical data and pathological samples were retrieved for the study. A median time of 36 months follow-up was performed to evaluate for tumor metastasis and patient survival. CXCR4 and MMP-2 proteins in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

RESULTS

The positive expression rate of CXCR4 and MMP-2 was 68.5% and 54.8% respectively, and of the 45 patients who developed distal metastasis, 33 and 28 patients had positive expression of CXCR4 and MMP-2 respectively. The median metastasis-free survival was 72.00 months in the CXCR4-negative group and 14.00 months in the CXCR4 positive group. Furthermore, median overall survival was 73.77 and 24.00 months in these same two groups. Further, the median metastasis-free survival was 66.51 months in the MMP-2 negative group and 9.00 months in the MMP-2 positive group. The median overall survival was 75.07 and 19.00 months in these same two groups. MMP2 and metastasis remained the significant and independent prognostic factors for metastasis-free survival and overall survival by using the COX regression model adjusted for the multivariate predictors of survival.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that metastasis and MMP-2 are both independent prognostic indicators for metastasis-free and overall survival of osteosarcoma patients.

miR-214-5p inhibits human prostate cancer proliferation and migration through regulating CRMP5

OBJECTIVES

In men, human prostate cancer (PCa) has become the second most common cancer. miRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that can inhibit target gene mRNAs. Studies have showed that the alternation of miRNAs expression in cancer is relevant to pathogenesis of tumor. In present study, we aimed to investigate functions of miR-214-5p in PCa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

10 paired human prostate tumor tissues and homologous para-tumor tissues were recruited, and the levels of miR-214-5p and CRMP5 were respectively determined by qRT-PCR assay. Luciferase activity analysis was performed to explore the regulation of CRMP5 mRNA 3'UTR by miR-214-5p. Then, cell experiments, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration and colony formation ability, were performed after proper plasmids or RNAs transfection.

RESULTS

In PCa tissues and cell lines, expression of miR-214-5p was decreased compared with para-tumor tissues or normal prostate epithelial cell lines. Luciferase activity assay showed a direct combination of miR-214-5p and CRMP5 mRNA 3'UTR, and indicated that the absence of miR-214-5p in PCa cells may contributes to a high level of CRMP5. Cell experiments showed that miR-214-5p can induce inhibition of tumor cell growth, migration and colony forming efficiency, promotion of apoptosis and G1-phase arrest, on the other hand, co-expression of CRMP5 somewhat counteracted these phenotype induced by miR-214-5p.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, miR-214-5p shows tumor suppression effects in PCa cells. Loss expression of miR-214-5p in PCa increase levels of CRMP5 through regulating CRMP5 3'UTR, which could be a potential therapy target for PCa.

Pathological and therapeutic aspects of matrix metalloproteinases: Implications in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common malignant bone tumors in children and adolescents, and the eighth leading form of childhood cancer. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes implicated in certain cancers including OS. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of actions of MMPs in progression of OS, and the therapeutic use of MMPs inhibitors in the treatment of OS with subsequent clinical studies and future management. The expression of MMPs is upregulated in cancer cells by a variety of cytokines and growth factors, and upregulation of MMPs induces degradation of the extracellular matrix that contributes to cell proliferation by releasing growth factors. MMPs promote the detachment and migration of endothelial cells, cross the basement membrane as well as invade the surrounding lymphatic vessels and causes cancer metastasis. The use of selective MMP inhibitors with limited side effects might be promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of OS. More clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the role of selective MMPs inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of OS along with their assessment of toxicity.

Revisiting the role of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase as a therapeutic target for cancer

Identified as a hallmark of cancer, metabolic reprogramming allows cancer cells to rapidly proliferate, resist chemotherapies, invade, metastasize, and survive a nutrient-deprived microenvironment. Rapidly growing cells depend on sufficient concentrations of nucleotides to sustain proliferation. One enzyme essential for the de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine-based nucleotides is dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), a known therapeutic target for multiple diseases. Brequinar, leflunomide, and teriflunomide, all of which are potent DHODH inhibitors, have been clinically evaluated but failed to receive FDA approval for the treatment of cancer. Inhibition of DHODH depletes intracellular pyrimidine nucleotide pools and results in cell cycle arrest in S-phase, sensitization to current chemotherapies, and differentiation in neural crest cells and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Furthermore, DHODH is a synthetic lethal susceptibility in several oncogenic backgrounds. Therefore, DHODH-targeted therapy has potential value as part of a combination therapy for the treatment of cancer. In this review, we focus on the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway as a target for cancer therapy, and in particular, DHODH. In the first part, we provide a comprehensive overview of this pathway and its regulation in cancer. We further describe the relevance of DHODH as a target for cancer therapy using bioinformatic analyses. We then explore the preclinical and clinical results of pharmacological strategies to target the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway, with an emphasis on DHODH. Finally, we discuss potential strategies to harness DHODH as a target for the treatment of cancer.

URG11 Regulates Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion

Upregulated gene 11 (URG11), a new gene upregulated by hepatitis B virus X protein, is involved in the development and progression of several tumors, including liver, stomach, lung, and colon cancers. However, the role of URG11 in prostate cancer remains yet to be elucidated. By determined expression in human prostate cancer tissues, URG11 was found significantly upregulated and positively correlated with the severity of prostate cancer, compared with that in benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues. Further, the mRNA and protein levels of URG11 were significantly upregulated in human prostate cancer cell lines (DU145, PC3, and LNCaP), compared with human prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE-1). Moreover, by the application of siRNA against URG11, the proliferation, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer cells were markedly inhibited. Genetic knockdown of URG11 also induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase, induced apoptosis, and decreased the expression level of β-catenin in prostate cancer cells. Overexpression of URG11 promoted the expression of β-catenin, the growth, the migration, and invasion ability of prostate cancer cells. Taken together, this study reveals that URG11 is critical for the proliferation, migration, and invasion in prostate cancer cells, providing the evidence of URG11 to be a novel potential therapeutic target of prostate cancer.

AIMP2-DX2 Promotes the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck tumor with high degree of malignancy and with high incidence especially in southern China. AIMP2-DX2, one isoform of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase interacting multifunctional proteins (AIMPs), is shown to be a potential target in many cancers. However, the detailed mechanisms of AIMP2-DX2 in NPC development remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that the mRNA expression level of AIMP2-DX2 was significantly increased in NPC specimens, compared with normal nasopharyngeal tissues. Microarray immunohistochemical analysis of NPC specimens and Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high AIMP2-DX2 protein expression had shorter overall survival than those with low AIMP2-DX2 level. Furthermore, mRNA and protein expression levels of AIMP2-DX2 were both increased in cultured NPC cell lines (5-8F, CNE-2Z, and CNE-1), by being compared with normal nasopharyngeal cell line NP69. Overexpression of AIMP2-DX2 remarkably promoted the cell viability, cell migration, and invasion of cultured NPC cells. Genetic knockdown of AIMP2-DX2 by shRNA lentiviruses significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis of NPC cells. Inhibition of AIMP2-DX2 decreased the highly expressed level of matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 2 and MMP-9, further suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion in cultured NPC cells in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that AIMP2-DX2 plays an important role in the regulation of NPC and could be a potential therapeutic target and prognostic indicator for the treatment of NPC.

DRP5 is involved in cancer cell growth and predicts poor prognosis in human osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is an extremely aggressive primary malignant bone tumor of childhood. Collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs), which are highly expressed in the developing nervous system, were recently shown to be associated with cancer development. However, the relationship between DRP5 (CRMP5) and osteosarcoma has not been evaluated. In this study, we investigated the role of DRP5 in the regulation of osteosarcoma growth. DRP5 mRNA and protein levels were significantly upregulated in human osteosarcoma cell lines and associated with increased migration and invasion. Genetic knockdown of DRP5 markedly suppressed the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and MMP‐9. DRP5 silencing significantly inhibited osteosarcoma cell growth in vitro and in a xenograft mouse model in vivo. Microarray immunohistochemical analysis of osteosarcoma specimens and Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high DRP5 protein expression had shorter overall survival than those with low DRP5 levels. Taken together, these results suggest that DRP5 plays a critical role in the regulation of osteosarcoma and could be a potential therapeutic target and prognostic factor in osteosarcoma.