Down-regulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5): novel marker for cervical carcinogenesis

Serum IGFBP5 as a predictor of major adverse cardiac events in patients with acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a serious condition with high mortality rates. Early risk stratification is of significant importance to assess the prognosis. Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 (IGFBP5) levels in AMI patients and its potential as a prognosis biomarker were unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate serum IGFBP5 levels in AMI and its prognostic value for short-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

METHODS

We collected serum IGFBP5 levels from 200 patients with new-onset AMI and 71 coronary heart disease (CAD) patients without AMI. Linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between IGFBP5 and baseline variables. AMI patients were followed up, and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, multivariate Cox models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 217 days, 40 patients developed MACE. Serum IGFBP5 was associated with serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 0.013 and P = 0.013). In multivariable survival analyses, higher IGFBP5 was associated with an increased risk of MACE [HR = 1.183, 95%CI (1.104, 1.268), P < 0.001)]. There was a positive and linear association between IGFBP5 levels and the occurrence of MACE (P for nonlinearity = 0.283). The positive association between IGFBP5 and MACE risk consist across subgroups characterized by demographics and comorbidities.

CONCLUSION

Serum IGFBP5 was highly expressed in patients with AMI and positively associated with the short-term risk of MACE. Circulating IGFBP5 may be a diagnostic and prognostic indicator for AMI, and further studies with larger sample and longer follow-up are warranted.

IGFBP5 is an ROR1 ligand promoting glioblastoma invasion via ROR1/HER2-CREB signaling axis

Diffuse infiltration is the main reason for therapeutic resistance and recurrence in glioblastoma (GBM). However, potential targeted therapies for GBM stem-like cell (GSC) which is responsible for GBM invasion are limited. Herein, we report Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 5 (IGFBP5) is a ligand for Receptor tyrosine kinase like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1), as a promising target for GSC invasion. Using a GSC-derived brain tumor model, GSCs were characterized into invasive or non-invasive subtypes, and RNA sequencing analysis revealed that IGFBP5 was differentially expressed between these two subtypes. GSC invasion capacity was inhibited by IGFBP5 knockdown and enhanced by IGFBP5 overexpression both in vitro and in vivo, particularly in a patient-derived xenograft model. IGFBP5 binds to ROR1 and facilitates ROR1/HER2 heterodimer formation, followed by inducing CREB-mediated ETV5 and FBXW9 expression, thereby promoting GSC invasion and tumorigenesis. Importantly, using a tumor-specific targeting and penetrating nanocapsule-mediated delivery of CRISPR/Cas9-based IGFBP5 gene editing significantly suppressed GSC invasion and downstream gene expression, and prolonged the survival of orthotopic tumor-bearing mice. Collectively, our data reveal that IGFBP5-ROR1/HER2-CREB signaling axis as a potential GBM therapeutic target.

Candidate Genes and Pathways in Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review and Integrated Bioinformatic Analysis

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in developing countries. However, no comprehensive molecular mechanism for cervical cancer has been established, as many studies were small-cohort studies conducted with small sample sizes. A thorough literature search was performed using the PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Science Direct databases. Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms such as "Uterine Cervical Neoplasms" and "gene expression" were used as the keywords in all fields. A total of 4027 studies were retrieved, and only clinical studies, which used the microarray method to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the cervical tissue of cervical cancer patients, were selected. Following the screening, 6 studies were selected and 1128 DEGs were extracted from the data. Sixty-two differentially expressed genes from at least two studies were selected for further analysis by DAVID, STRING, and Cytoscape software. In cervical cancer pathogenesis, three significant clusters with high intermolecular interactions from the Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network complex revealed three major molecular mechanisms, including cell signaling, cell cycle, and cell differentiation. Subsequently, eight genes were chosen as the candidate genes based on their involvement in the relevant gene ontology (GO) and their interaction with other genes in the PPI network through undirected first neighbor nodes. The present systematic review improves our understanding of the molecular mechanism of cervical cancer and the proposed genes that can be used to expand the biomarker panel in the screening for cervical cancer. The targeted genes may be beneficial for the development of better treatment strategies.

Expression and Role of TRIM2 in Human Diseases

Tripartite motif (TRIM) protein family proteins contain more than 80 members in humans, and most of these proteins exhibit E3 ubiquitin ligase activity mediated through a RING finger domain. Their biological functions are very complex, and they perform diverse functions in cell evolution processes, such as intracellular signaling, development, apoptosis, protein quality control, innate immunity, autophagy, and carcinogenesis. Tripartite motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2), a member of the TRIM superfamily, is an 81 kDa multidomain protein, also known as CMT2R or RNF86, located at 4q31.3. TRIM2 functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Current studies have shown that TRIM2 can play roles in neuroprotection, neuronal rapid ischemic tolerance, antiviral responses, neurological diseases, etc. Moreover, based on some studies in tumors, TRIM2 regulates tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and drug resistance through different mechanisms and plays a critical role in tumor occurrence and development. This review is aimed at providing a systematic and comprehensive summary of research on TRIM2 and at exploring the potential role of TRIM2 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in many kinds of human diseases.

Novel Genomic Biomarker Candidates for Cervical Cancer As Identified by Differential Co-Expression Network Analysis

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy and the third reason for mortality among women in developing countries. Although infection by the oncogenic human papilloma viruses is a major cause, genomic contributors are still largely unknown. Network analyses, compared with candidate gene studies, offer greater promise to map the interactions among genomic loci contributing to cervical cancer risk. We report here a differential co-expression network analysis in five gene expression datasets (GSE7803, GSE9750, GSE39001, GSE52903, and GSE63514, from the Gene Expression Omnibus) in patients with cervical cancer and healthy controls. Kaplan-Meier Survival and principle component analyses were employed to evaluate prognostic and diagnostic performances of biomarker candidates, respectively. As a result, seven distinct co-expressed gene modules were identified. Among these, five modules (with sizes of 9-45 genes) presented high prognostic and diagnostic capabilities with hazard ratios of 2.28-11.3, and diagnostic odds ratios of 85.2-548.8. Moreover, these modules were associated with several key biological processes such as cell cycle regulation, keratinization, neutrophil degranulation, and the phospholipase D signaling pathway. In addition, transcription factors ETS1 and GATA2 were noted as common regulatory elements. These genomic biomarker candidates identified by differential co-expression network analysis offer new prospects for translational cancer research, not to mention personalized medicine to forecast cervical cancer susceptibility and prognosis. Looking into the future, we also suggest that the search for a molecular basis of common complex diseases should be complemented by differential co-expression analyses to obtain a systems-level understanding of disease phenotype variability.

TRIM2 downregulation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma affects cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and predicts poor patients' survival

Background and aim

Tripartite motif containing (TRIM) family protein has been involved in multiple pathogenesis of cancers. TRIM2 is a member of the family, and its role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains to be unclarifid. Here, we showed the clinical value and biological role of TRIM2 in ccRCC.

Methods

ROC curves analyzed the clinicopathological parameters, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis determined the correlation of OS and DFS time, multivariate analysis demonstrated the prognostic indicator in overall survival and disease-free survival of ccRCC with TRIM2 expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) database. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to check the level of TRIM2 expression. Gain-of-function assay by exogenous overexpression of TRIM2 studied the biological role of TRIM2 in renal cell carcinoma cells.

Results

TRIM2 expression was associated with various clinicopathologicalfactors and lower TRIM2 expression was interrelated to a poor prognosis. The levels of TRIM2 expression were also scanty in ccRCC tissues and renal cancer cell lines than in normal control. The biological role of TRIM2 in ccRCC was identifid by bioinformatics analysis and functional analysis. Exogenous overexpression of TRIM2 with the gain-of-function assay in renal cell carcinoma cells showed that the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were signifiantly suppressed.

Conclusion

These results showed that TRIM2 acted as an antitumor gene and a specifi prognostic indicator for patients with ccRCC, which indicated that positive modulation of TRIM2 might be a novel treatment strategy for ccRCC.

TRIM2 regulates the development and metastasis of tumorous cells of osteosarcoma

The present study aimed to investigate candidate genes involved in the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma. Candidate genes were screened preliminarily from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and then validated using actual tumor tissues collected from patients with osteosarcoma. The cells were prepared and transfected with specific gene-targeted small interfering RNA followed by an MTS assay for cell viability detection and Transwell assays for cell migration and invasion capacity detection. The cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and the protein level of the genes was detected by western blot analysis. An in vivo nude model was used and injected with cells to detect the functions of the genes. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to verify the regulation network, followed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses for validation. Increased tripartite motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2) was detected in the osteosarcoma tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. The inhibition of TRIM2 induced lower cell viability and cell invasion capacity, and increased the rate of cell apoptosis. Decreased TRIM2 also inhibited the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma in the nude mouse models. The transcriptome sequencing revealed that the regulation of TRIM2 may be correlated with genes, Sirtuin 4, DNA damage inducible transcript 3, cAMP responsive element binding protein 5, G protein-coupled receptor 65 (GPR65) and ADP-ribosyltransferase 5. Western blot analysis indicated that TRIM2 regulated the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. Therefore, TRIM2 performs important functions in regulating the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma.

The correlation analysis of miRNAs and target genes in metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Aim: This study was intended to identify the metastasis-related miRNAs and target genes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Materials & methods: The mRNA and miRNA next-generation sequencing data were downloaded. Differential expression analysis was carried out, followed by target gene prediction of differentially expressed miRNAs. The biological function of differentially expressed genes was performed. Validation was carried out by survival analysis and qRT-PCR. Results: N4BP3 were associated with the survival time of patients. Hsa-mir-451 and hsa-mir-486 were related to tumor differentiation stage. Validated expression of hsa-mir-24–2, hsa-mir-582, NOTCH1, PIP4K2B, DIP2B and IGFBP5 was consistent with the bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion: Alterations of miRNAs and target genes may be useful in understanding the metastasis mechanisms of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

The IGF axis in HPV associated cancers

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infect and replicate in stratified epithelium at cutaneous and mucosal surfaces. The proliferation and maintenance of keratinocytes, the cells which make up this epithelium, are controlled by a number of growth factor receptors such as the keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR, also called fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (FGFR2b)), the epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the insulin-like growth factor receptors 1 and 2 (IGF1R and IGF2R). In this review, we will delineate the mutation, gene transcription, translation and processing of the IGF axis within HPV associated cancers. The IGFs are key for developmental and postnatal growth of almost all tissues; we explore whether this crucial axis has been hijacked by HPV.

The C-terminus of IGFBP-5 suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting angiogenesis

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 (IGFBP-5) plays a role in cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. In this study, we found that IGFBP5 was markedly downregulated in ovarian cancer tissue. We investigated the functional significance of IGFBP-5 as a tumor suppressor. To determine functional regions of IGFBP-5, truncation mutants were prepared and were studied the effect on tumor growth. Expression of C-terminal region of IGFBP-5 significantly decreased tumor growth in an ovarian cancer xenograft. A peptide derived from the C-terminus of IGFBP-5 (BP5-C) was synthesized to evaluate the minimal amino acid motif that retained anti-tumorigenic activity and its effect on angiogenesis was studied. BP5-C peptide decreased the expression of VEGF-A and MMP-9, phosphorylation of Akt and ERK, and NF-kB activity, and inhibited angiogenesis in in vitro and ex vivo systems. Furthermore, BP5-C peptide significantly decreased tumor weight and angiogenesis in both ovarian cancer orthotopic xenograft and patient-derived xenograft mice. These results suggest that the C-terminus of IGFBP-5 exerts anti-cancer activity by inhibiting angiogenesis via regulation of the Akt/ERK and NF-kB–VEGF/MMP-9 signaling pathway, and might be considered as a novel angiogenesis inhibitor for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

MicroRNA-145 targets TRIM2 and exerts tumor-suppressing functions in epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide but relatively little is known about its molecular pathogenesis. MicroRNAs, which regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally, have emerged as key players in tumorigenesis. The present study aims to investigate the dysregulation of miR-145 in EOC.

METHODS

miRNA expression was assessed in EOC tissues and cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Xenograft mouse model was used for evaluation of the effect of miR-145 on tumor growth. Cell proliferation, colony formation assays, invasion assay, flow cytometry, Western blot and gene expression analysis were used for identification of the functional role of miR-145 in EOC cells. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the interaction between miR-145 and its target mRNA 3'-UTR.

RESULTS

miR-145 expression was downregulated in EOC tissues and cell lines as compared with normal ovarian tissues. Transfection of miR-145 agomiR significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony forming ability, invasiveness and in vivo tumorigenicity of EOC cells. Transfection of agomiR-145 into EOC cells also markedly induced apoptosis. Furthermore, computational algorithm combined with luciferase reporter assays identified TRIM2 as the direct target of miR-145 in EOC cells. To this end, agomiR-145 downregulated TRIM2 to derepress Bim (a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member degraded by TRIM2).

CONCLUSIONS

These data confirmed the tumor-suppressing function of miR-145 in EOC and identified TRIM2 as a new miR-145 target. In vivo delivery of agomiR-145 might be a feasible approach for miRNA-directed cancer therapy.

Functional roles and clinical values of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-5 in different types of cancers

Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) are critical regulators of the mitogenic activity of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). IGFBP5, one of these IGFBPs, has special structural features, including a nuclear transport domain, heparin-binding motif, and IGF/extracellular matrix/acid-labile subunit-binding sites. Furthermore, IGFBP5 has several functional effects on carcinogenesis and even normal cell processes, such as cell growth, death, motility, and tissue remodeling. These biological effects are sometimes related with IGF (IGF-dependent effects) and sometimes not (IGF-independent effects). The functional role of IGFBP5 is most likely determined in a cell-type and tissue-type specific manner but also depends on cell context, especially in terms of the diversity of interacting proteins and the potential for nuclear localization. Clinical findings show that IGFBP5 has the potential to be a useful clinical biomarker for predicting response to therapy and clinical outcome of cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the functional diversity and clinical importance of IGFBP5 in different types of cancers.

Identification of a novel Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim) E3 ligase, tripartite motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2), and its role in rapid ischemic tolerance-induced neuroprotection

We have previously shown that the cell death-promoting protein Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim) is ubiquitinated and degraded following a neuroprotection-conferring episode of brief ischemia (preconditioning). Here, we identify the E3 ligase that ubiquitinates Bim in this model, using a proteomics approach. Using phosphorylated GST-Bim as bait, we precipitated and identified by mass spectrometry tripartite motif protein 2 (TRIM2), a RING (really interesting new gene) domain-containing protein. The reaction between TRIM2 and Bim was confirmed using co-immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblotting. We show that TRIM2 binds to Bim when it is phosphorylated by p42/p44 MAPK but does not interact with a nonphosphorylatable Bim mutant (3ABim). 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activation of p42/p44 MAPK drives Bim ubiquitination in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells and is associated with an increased interaction between TRIM2 and Bim. One hour following preconditioning ischemia, the binding of Bim to TRIM2 increased, consistent with the time window of enhanced Bim degradation. Blocking p42/p44 MAPK activation following preconditioning ischemia with U0126 or using the nonphosphorylatable 3ABim reduced the binding between Bim and TRIM2. Immunodepletion of TRIM2 from cell lysates prepared from preconditioned cells reduced Bim ubiquitination. Finally, suppression of TRIM2 expression, using lentivirus transduction of shRNAmir, stabilized Bim protein levels and blocked neuroprotection observed in rapid ischemic tolerance. Taken together, these data support a role for TRIM2 in mediating the p42/p44 MAPK-dependent ubiquitination of Bim in rapid ischemic tolerance.

Curcumin upregulates insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) and C/EBPalpha during oral cancer suppression

Curcumin is a common food ingredient derived from the plant Curcuma longa and is a potent drug against tumorigenesis. Both insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) are suppressors of head and neck carcinogenesis. We identified curcumin as an inducer of IGFBP-5 expression in multiple types of oral keratinocytes; furthermore, curcumin induces IGFBP-5 promoter activity in SAS oral cancer cells. Promoter deletion mapping identified a region (nt -71 to nt -59 relative to the transcription start site) as containing a C/EBPalpha-binding element that is indispensable for curcumin-mediated IGFBP-5 upregulation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that in vivo binding of C/EBPalpha to this region was remarkably increased in the presence of curcumin. Curcumin increased nuclear C/EBPalpha expression and IGFBP-5 expression through p38 activation and this was abrogated by SB203580 treatment. Furthermore, MKK6 expression activated p38 and C/EBPalpha, increasing IGFBP-5 promoter activity and expression. Finally, curcumin-induced IGFBP-5 expression is associated with the suppression of xenograft tumorigenesis in mice due to oral cancer cells. We conclude that curcumin activates p38, which, in turn, activates the C/EBPalpha transactivator by interacting with binding elements in the IGFBP-5 promoter. The consequential upregulation of C/EBPalpha and IGFBP-5 by curcumin is crucial to the suppression of oral carcinogenesis.

Expressions of IGFBP-5, cFLIP in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical carcinoma and their clinical significances: a molecular pathology

Background

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBPs) have been as potential tumor suppressors in the occurrence and development of tumors. Cellular Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (FLICE)-like inhibitory protein (cFLIP) contains a death effect domain (DED), which blocks death receptor pathway and inhibits apoptosis.

Methods

We collected normal cervical tissues from 28 subjects, CIN samples from 37 patients, and cervical cancer tissues from 40 patients. In these samples, we then measured the expression levels of IGFBP-5 and cFLIP via RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, and we detected the presence of high-risk HPV by Hybrid capture II assays in cervical secretions provided by the subjects.

Results

significant differences in the expression of IGFBP-5 protein among the normal, CIN, and CC tissues (P < 0.05). The highest expression of IGFBP-5 protein was found in CIN stage II and III tissues, whereas the expression of IGFBP-5 in CC samples was decreased relative to controls. The expression level was affected by factors such as clinical stage, pathological differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. Relative to the controls, IGFBP-5 mRNA content was higher in the CC group and lower in the CIN group (P < 0.05). No expression of cFLIP protein or mRNA was detected in normal cervical tissues. However, the degree of pathological changes correlated with increasing expression of cFLIP protein and mRNA, and significant differences were therefore detected between groups (P < 0.05). The HPV infection rates in the CIN and CC groups were much higher than in the normal group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

IGFBP-5 expression is up-regulated in response to progression of CIN and down-regulated in invasive cervical carcinoma. Detection of IGFBP-5 and cFLIP expression levels, may prove particularly useful for diagnosing and differentiating CIN and CC.

Multifunctional roles of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 in breast cancer

The insulin-like growth factor axis, which has been shown to protect cells from apoptosis, plays an essential role in normal cell physiology and in cancer development. The family of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) has been shown to have a diverse spectrum of functions in cell growth, death, motility, and tissue remodeling. Among the six IGFBP family members, IGFBP-5 has recently been shown to play an important role in the biology of breast cancer, especially in breast cancer metastasis; however, the exact mechanisms of action remain obscure and sometimes paradoxical. An in-depth understanding of IGFBP-5 would shed light on its potential role as a target for breast cancer therapeutics.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) suppresses the tumourigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a global malignancy. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signalling axis plays a critical role in tumourigenesis. This study defined the clinical and functional roles of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) in HNSCC. Down-regulation of IGFBP-5 mRNA expression was found during the progression from pre-cancer to HNSCC. The down-regulation in HNSCC was associated with a higher propensity to nodal metastasis. SAS and OECM-1 are HNSCC cells that do, or do not, express IGFBP-5, respectively. Recombinant IGFBP-5 reduced the proliferation of OECM-1 cells and this was exerted mainly through blockade of the IGF pathways. Either IGFBP-5 or IGF-I treatment alone promoted OECM-1 migration, but a combination of treatments generated antagonistic effects. Overexpression of IGFBP-5 reduced the proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of both OECM-1 and SAS cells. Conversely, knockdown of IGFBP-5 expression significantly induced the proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of SAS cells. It also induced the growth of xenografted SAS tumours. SAS transfectants that expressed mutant or truncated IGFBP-5, which lack IGF binding activity, exhibited significantly lower anchorage-independent growth than vector control. This suggests that IGFBP-5 possesses an IGF-independent suppressor function. The suppressive effects of IGFBP-5 on the tumourigenesis of HNSCC might be invaluable to future neoplastic intervention.