The potential therapeutic and prognostic impacts of the c-MET/HGF signaling pathway in colorectal cancer

Anti-angiogenesis in colorectal cancer therapy

The morbidity of colorectal cancer (CRC) has risen to third place among malignant tumors worldwide. In addition, CRC is a common cancer in China whose incidence increases annually. Angiogenesis plays an important role in the development of tumors because it can bring the nutrients that cancer cells need and take away metabolic waste. Various mechanisms are involved in the formation of neovascularization, and vascular endothelial growth factor is a key mediator. Meanwhile, angiogenesis inhibitors and drug resistance (DR) are challenges to consider when formulating treatment strategies for patients with different conditions. Thus, this review will discuss the molecules, signaling pathways, microenvironment, treatment, and DR of angiogenesis in CRC.

A perspective on emerging therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer: Focusing on molecular medicine and drug resistance

The majority of cancer cases are colorectal cancer, which is also the second largest cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Metastasis is the leading cause of death for patients with colorectal cancer. Metastatic colorectal cancer incidence are on the rise due to a tiny percentage of tumors developing resistant to medicines despite advances in treatment tactics. Cutting-edge targeted medications are now the go-to option for customized and all-encompassing CRC care. Specifically, multitarget kinase inhibitors, antivascular endothelial growth factors, and epidermal growth factor receptors are widely used in clinical practice for CRC-targeted treatments. Rare targets in metastatic colorectal cancer are becoming more well-known due to developments in precision diagnostics and the extensive use of second-generation sequencing technology. These targets include the KRAS mutation, the BRAF V600E mutation, the HER2 overexpression/amplification, and the MSI-H/dMMR. Incorporating certain medications into clinical trials has significantly increased patient survival rates, opening new avenues and bringing fresh viewpoints for treating metastatic colorectal cancer. These focused therapies change how cancer is treated, giving patients new hope and better results. These markers can significantly transform and individualize therapy regimens. They could open the door to precisely customized and more effective medicines, improving patient outcomes and quality of life. The fast-growing body of knowledge regarding the molecular biology of colorectal cancer and the latest developments in gene sequencing and molecular diagnostics are directly responsible for this advancement.

Near-Infrared Imaging of Colonic Adenomas In Vivo Using Orthotopic Human Organoids for Early Cancer Detection

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Premalignant lesions that are flat and subtle in morphology are often missed in conventional colonoscopies. Patient-derived adenoma colonoids with high and low cMet expression and normal colonoids were implanted orthotopically in the colon of immunocompromised mice to serve as a preclinical model system. A peptide specific for cMet was labeled with IRDye800, a near-infrared (NIR) fluorophore. This peptide was administered intravenously, and in vivo imaging was performed using a small animal fluorescence endoscope. Quantified intensities showed a peak target-to-background ratio at ~1 h after intravenous peptide injection, and the signal cleared by ~24 h. The peptide was stable in serum with a half-life of 3.6 h. Co-staining of adenoma and normal colonoids showed a high correlation between peptide and anti-cMet antibody. A human-specific cytokeratin stain verified the presence of human tissues implanted among surrounding normal mouse colonic mucosa. Peptide biodistribution was consistent with rapid renal clearance. No signs of acute toxicity were found on either animal necropsy or serum hematology and chemistries. Human colonoids provide a clinically relevant preclinical model to evaluate the specific uptake of a NIR peptide to detect premalignant colonic lesions in vivo.

Targeting MET Amplification: Opportunities and Obstacles in Therapeutic Approaches

The MET gene plays a vital role in cellular proliferation, earning it recognition as a principal oncogene. Therapies that target MET amplification have demonstrated promising results both in preclinical models and in specific clinical cases. A significant obstacle to these therapies is the ability to distinguish between focal amplification and polysomy, a task for which simple MET copy number measurement proves insufficient. To effectively differentiate between the two, it is crucial to utilize comparative measures, including in situ hybridization (ISH) with the centromere or next generation sequencing (NGS) with adjacent genes. Despite the promising potential of MET amplification treatment, the judicious selection of patients is paramount to maximize therapeutic efficacy. The effectiveness of MET inhibitors can fluctuate depending on the extent of MET amplification. Future research must seek to establish the ideal threshold value for MET amplification, identify the most efficacious combination therapies, and innovate new targeted treatments for patients exhibiting MET amplification.

Deciphering the Enigmatic Influence: Non-Coding RNAs Orchestrating Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Tumor Progression

Dysregulated expression of specific non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has been strongly linked to tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and therapeutic resistance. These ncRNAs can act as either oncogenes or tumor suppressors, thereby serving as valuable diagnostic and prognostic markers. Numerous studies have implicated the participation of ncRNAs in the regulation of diverse signaling pathways, including the pivotal Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway that is widely acknowledged for its pivotal role in embryogenesis, cellular proliferation, and tumor biology control. Recent emerging evidence has shed light on the capacity of ncRNAs to interact with key components of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby modulating the expression of Wnt target genes in cancer cells. Notably, the activity of this pathway can reciprocally influence the expression levels of ncRNAs. However, comprehensive analysis investigating the specific ncRNAs associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and their intricate interactions in cancer remains elusive. Based on these noteworthy findings, this review aims to unravel the intricate associations between ncRNAs and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway during cancer initiation, progression, and their potential implications for therapeutic interventions. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of ncRNAs and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, accompanied by a thorough discussion of their functional roles in tumor biology. Targeting ncRNAs and molecules associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may emerge as a promising and effective therapeutic strategy in future cancer treatments.

The role of the tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer and the potential therapeutic approaches

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) with a high prevalence is recognized as the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death globally. Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in the network of tumor cells, stromal cells, immune cells, blood vessel cells, and fibroblasts that comprise the tumor microenvironment (TME) to identify new therapeutic interventions.

METHODS

Databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, were searched to provide an overview of the recent research progress related to targeting the TME as a novel therapeutic approach.

RESULTS

Tumor microenvironment as a result of the cross talk between these cells may result in either advantages or disadvantages in tumor development and metastasis, affecting the signals and responses from the surrounding cells. Whilst chemotherapy has led to an improvement in CRC patients' survival, the metastatic aspect of the disease remains difficult to avoid.

CONCLUSIONS

The present review emphasizes the structure and function of the TME, alterations in the TME, its role in the incidence and progression of CRC, the effects on tumor development and metastasis, and also the potential of its alterations as therapeutic targets. It should be noted that providing novel studies in this field of research might help us to achieve practical therapeutic strategies based on their interaction.

circIFT80 Functions as a ceRNA for miR-142, miR-568, and miR-634 and Promotes the Progression of Colorectal Cancer by Targeting β-Catenin

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common form of malignant tumor and is characterized by high rates of proliferation and metastases. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a form of noncoding and closed loop RNA molecules and play vital roles in the progression of various types of cancer in humans. Here, we used circRNA microarray sequencing technology to analyze the different circRNAs between CRC tissues and normal tissues and explore the role of circIFT80 in progression of colorectal cancer. In this present study, we found that circIFT80 was abnormally overexpression in colorectal cancer tissues and tumor cells. While knockout circIFT80 in HT29 cell or SW480 cells, the proliferation, and migration of the cells were inhibited, the cell cycle was arrested in G2/M phase, and the cell apoptosis was increased. And then, we found circIFT80-positive correlation with CTNNB1 (β-catenin) by sponging miR-142, miR-568, and miR-634 upregulated the gene expression. These miRNAs which targeted β-catenin mRNA were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter system and RNA-pulldown. In addition, xenograft tumor experiments showed that circIFT80 accelerated the tumorigenesis of CRC in vivo. In conclusion, our work reveals the impacts of circIFT80 as ceRNA in the progression of CRC, by which sponging miR-142, miR-568, and miR-634 enhanced the expression levels of β-catenin and activation Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Collectively, our data indicate that circIFT80 serves as an oncogene in CRC and represents a novel candidate for diagnosis and treatment.

Recent advances in targeted drug delivery systems for resistant colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world, the incidences and morality rate are rising and poses an important threat to the public health. It is known that multiple drug resistance (MDR) is one of the major obstacles in CRC treatment. Tumor microenvironment plus genomic instability, tumor derived exosomes (TDE), cancer stem cells (CSCs), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), cell-free DNA (cfDNA), as well as cellular signaling pathways are important issues regarding resistance. Since non-targeted therapy causes toxicity, diverse side effects, and undesired efficacy, targeted therapy with contribution of various carriers has been developed to address the mentioned shortcomings. In this paper the underlying causes of MDR and then various targeting strategies including exosomes, liposomes, hydrogels, cell-based carriers and theranostics which are utilized to overcome therapeutic resistance will be described. We also discuss implication of emerging approaches involving single cell approaches and computer-aided drug delivery with high potential for meeting CRC medical needs.

Preclinical and clinical aspects of using Tazemetostate in human cancers

Abstract:

Epigenetic drugs are novel drug categories with promising effects in different cancers. Tazemetostate is among the drugs that were recently used in clinical settings, especially in the treatment of specific tumors and lymphomas. There are a growing number of ongoing clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of tazemetostate in different cancers. The present review addressed the available preclinical studies evaluating the combination of tazemetostate and other chemotherapy agents in treating different cancers and summarized the limited clinical evidence available regarding the efficacy of this novel Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) inhibitor in cancer. Based on the available clinical studies, tazemetostate could be considered a safe epigenetic agent with limited adverse events for treating specific types of lymphomas and solid tumors. However, the superiority of using tazemetostate over other chemotherapy agents in patients with cancer as well as using the drug for other clinical conditions including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis needs further investigation. Moreover, the effect of tazemetostate on human germline cells is clearly evaluated as some animal studies demonstrated that the drug can affect germline epigenome suggesting further studies on this issue.

Distinct Adipogenic and Fibrogenic Differentiation Capacities of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Pancreas and White Adipose Tissue

Pancreatic steatosis associates with β-cell failure and may participate in the development of type-2-diabetes. Our previous studies have shown that diabetes-susceptible mice accumulate more adipocytes in the pancreas than diabetes-resistant mice. In addition, we have demonstrated that the co-culture of pancreatic islets and adipocytes affect insulin secretion. The aim of this current study was to elucidate if and to what extent pancreas-resident mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with adipogenic progenitor potential differ from the corresponding stromal-type cells of the inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT). miRNA (miRNome) and mRNA expression (transcriptome) analyses of MSCs isolated by flow cytometry of both tissues revealed 121 differentially expressed miRNAs and 1227 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Target prediction analysis estimated 510 DEGs to be regulated by 58 differentially expressed miRNAs. Pathway analyses of DEGs and miRNA target genes showed unique transcriptional and miRNA signatures in pancreas (pMSCs) and iWAT MSCs (iwatMSCs), for instance fibrogenic and adipogenic differentiation, respectively. Accordingly, iwatMSCs revealed a higher adipogenic lineage commitment, whereas pMSCs showed an elevated fibrogenesis. As a low degree of adipogenesis was also observed in pMSCs of diabetes-susceptible mice, we conclude that the development of pancreatic steatosis has to be induced by other factors not related to cell-autonomous transcriptomic changes and miRNA-based signals.

Molecular Network of Colorectal Cancer and Current Therapeutic Options

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a leading cause of cancer-related mortalities globally, results from the accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations in the normal colonic and rectum epithelium, leading to the progression from colorectal adenomas to invasive carcinomas. Almost half of CRC patients will develop metastases in the course of the disease and most patients with metastatic CRC are incurable. Particularly, the 5-year survival rate of patients with stage 4 CRC at diagnosis is less than 10%. Although genetic understanding of these CRC tumors and paired metastases has led to major advances in elucidating early driver genes responsible for carcinogenesis and metastasis, the pathophysiological contribution of transcriptional and epigenetic aberrations in this malignancy which influence many central signaling pathways have attracted attention recently. Therefore, treatments that could affect several different molecular pathways may have pivotal implications for their efficacy. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the molecular network of CRC, including cellular signaling pathways, CRC microenvironment modulation, epigenetic changes, and CRC biomarkers for diagnosis and predictive/prognostic use. We also provide an overview of opportunities for the treatment and prevention strategies in this field.

Pancreatic Cancer and Platelets Crosstalk: A Potential Biomarker and Target

Platelets have been recognized as key players in hemostasis, thrombosis, and cancer. Preclinical and clinical researches evidenced that tumorigenesis and metastasis can be promoted by platelets through a wide variety of crosstalk between cancer cells and platelets. Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the relationship between pancreatic cancer and platelets in clinical diagnosis is described, the interplay between pancreatic cancer and platelets, the underlying pathological mechanism and pathways remain a matter of intensive study. This review summaries recent researches in connections between platelets and pancreatic cancer. The existing data showed different underlying mechanisms were involved in their complex crosstalk. Typically, pancreatic tumor accelerates platelet aggregation which forms thrombosis. Furthermore, extracellular vesicles released by platelets promote communication in a neoplastic microenvironment and illustrate how these interactions drive disease progression. We also discuss the advantages of novel model organoids in pancreatic cancer research. A more in-depth understanding of tumor and platelets crosstalk which is based on organoids and translational therapies may provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer progression.

Cetuximab resistance induced by hepatocyte growth factor is overcome by MET inhibition in KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF wild-type colorectal cancers

PURPOSE

Recent evidence has highlighted the role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as a putative biomarker to predict EGFR inhibitor resistance. This study investigated the impact of plasma HGF levels on EGFR inhibition and the counter effect of MET inhibition in KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF (RAS/RAF) wild-type colorectal cancers (CRCs).

METHODS

Plasma HGF levels were analyzed with clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) receiving palliative first-line chemotherapy. Then, in vitro experiments were conducted to validate the clinical findings and to establish pre-clinical evidence of MET inhibition by capmatinib.

RESULTS

A total of 80 patients were included: cetuximab + FOLFIRI (n = 35) and bevacizumab + FOLFIRI (n = 45). Both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly lesser in the high vs low HGF group: median 11.8 vs. 24.7 months, respectively, for PFS (p = 0.009), and median 21.1 months vs. not reached, respectively, for OS (p = 0.018). The difference was significantly evident in the cetuximab group. In five RAS/RAF wild-type CRC cells, the addition of HGF activated ERK1/2 and AKT via MET phosphorylation, resulting in cetuximab resistance in vitro. In cetuximab-sensitive Caco-2 and SNU-C4 cells, capmatinib overcame cetuximab resistance in the presence of HGF by attenuating HGF-induced MET signaling activation.

CONCLUSION

Patients with mCRC receiving cetuximab + FOLFIRI who presented with high plasma HGF levels had significantly worse PFS and OS. Cetuximab resistance induced by HGF was mediated by AKT and ERK activation and overcome by MET inhibition in vitro.

Correlation of c-MET expression with clinical characteristics and the prognosis of colorectal cancer

Background

The proto-oncogene c-MET (mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene) plays a critical role in cellular proliferation, survival, migration, and invasion in cancers. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between c-MET expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods

A total of 337 enrolled patients were collected in present study. Here, the c-MET and EGFR expression were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The mutational statuses of KRAS in exons 2, 3, and 4, NRAS in exons 2, 3, and 4, and BRAF in exon 15 from formalin-fixed sections were detected by direct DNA sequencing.

Results

Our results showed that high c-MET expression was significantly associated with tumor perineural invasion (P=0.007) and gender (P=0.016). High level c-MET expression (c-MET-high) in the primary tumors was observed in 68.2% of patients. In the 337 enrolled patients, 43.2% of patients had KRAS mutations, 3.3% of patients had NRAS mutations, and 4.7% of patients had BRAF mutations. However, KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF gene mutations had no association with c-MET protein levels in primary tumors. Additionally, c-MET protein expression had a strong correlation with EGFR expression (P=0.002). The survival time was not significantly longer for patients with c-MET-high primary tumors than for those with c-MET-low primary tumors.

Conclusions

c-MET immunohistochemistry was significantly higher in primary tumors with perineural invasion, female gender, and EGFR high expression. However, c-MET-high in the primary tumors was not significantly associated with longer survival compared with c-MET-low tumors. Further studies are required to investigate c-MET as potential molecular marker of progression and to test the possibility of its incorporation as a new therapeutic target.

The Versatile Roles of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Colorectal Cancer and Therapeutic Implications

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is populated by abundant cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that radically influence the disease progression across many cancers, including the colorectal cancer (CRC). In theory, targeting CAFs holds great potential in optimizing CRC treatment. However, attempts to translate the therapeutic benefit of CAFs into clinic practice face many obstacles, largely due to our limited understanding of the heterogeneity in their origins, functions, and mechanisms. In recent years, accumulating evidence has uncovered some cellular precursors and molecular markers of CAFs and also revealed their versatility in impacting various hallmarks of CRC, together helping us to better define the population of CAFs and also paving the way toward their future therapeutic targeting for CRC treatment. In this review, we outline the emerging concept of CAFs in CRC, with an emphasis on their origins, biomarkers, prognostic significance, as well as their functional roles and underlying mechanisms in CRC biology. At last, we discuss the prospect of harnessing CAFs as promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of patients with CRC.

miRNA-148a Enhances the Treatment Response of Patients with Rectal Cancer to Chemoradiation and Promotes Apoptosis by Directly Targeting c-Met

Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) have an excellent prognosis, but only approximately 30% of patients achieve pCR. Therefore, identifying predictors of pCR is imperative. We employed a microRNA (miRNA) microarray to compare the miRNA profiles of patients with LARC who achieved pCR (pCR group, n = 5) with those who did not (non-pCR group, n = 5). The validation set confirmed that miRNA-148a was overexpressed in the pCR group (n = 11) compared with the non-pCR group (n = 40). Cell proliferation and clonogenic assays revealed that miRNA-148a overexpression radio-sensitized cancer cells and inhibited cellular proliferation, before and after irradiation (p < 0.01). Apoptosis assays demonstrated that miRNA-148a enhanced apoptosis before and after irradiation. Reporter assays revealed that c-Met was the direct target gene of miRNA-148a. An in vivo study indicated that miRNA-148a enhanced the irradiation-induced suppression of xenograft tumor growth (p < 0.01). miRNA-148a may be a biomarker of pCR following NACRT and can promote apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in CRC cells by directly targeting c-Met in vitro and enhancing tumor response to irradiation in vivo.

Verticillin A inhibits colon cancer cell migration and invasion by targeting c-Met

Verticillin A is a diketopiperazine compound which was previously isolated from Amanita flavorubescens Alk (containing parasitic fungi Hypomyces hyalines (Schw.) Tul.). Here, we initially found, by wound healing assay and Transwell assay in vitro, that verticillin A possesses an inhibitory effect against the migration and invasion of the human colon cancer cell. Subsequently, c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-Met) was identified as a molecular target of verticillin A by screening key genes related to cell migration. Verticillin A-mediated c-Met suppression is at the transcriptional level. Further study demonstrated that verticillin A suppressed c-MET phosphorylation and decreased c-MET protein level. In addition, verticillin A inhibited the phosphorylation of c-MET downstream molecules including rat sarcoma (Ras)-associated factor (Raf), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and protein kinase B (AKT). Overexpression of Erk partially reversed the verticillin A-mediated anti-metastasis action in the human colon cancer cell. More importantly, verticillin A also inhibited cancer cell metastasis in vivo. Thus, verticillin A can significantly inhibit the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells by targeting c-Met and inhibiting Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK)/ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, we determined that verticillin A is a natural compound that can be further developed as an anti-metastatic drug in human cancers.

Beyond Colonoscopy: Exploring New Cell Surface Biomarkers for Detection of Early, Heterogenous Colorectal Lesions

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women in the United States. Early detection and surgical removal of high-risk lesions in the colon can prevent disease from developing and spreading. Despite implementation of programs aimed at early detection, screening colonoscopies fail to detect a fraction of potentially aggressive colorectal lesions because of their location or nonobvious morphology. Optical colonoscopies, while highly effective, rely on direct visualization to detect changes on the surface mucosa that are consistent with dysplasia. Recent advances in endoscopy techniques and molecular imaging permit microscale visualization of the colonic mucosa. These technologies can be combined with various molecular probes that recognize and target heterogenous lesion surfaces to achieve early, real-time, and potentially non-invasive, detection of pre-cancerous lesions. The primary goal of this review is to contextualize existing and emergent CRC surface biomarkers and assess each’s potential as a candidate marker for early marker-based detection of CRC lesions. CRC markers that we include were stratified by the level of support gleaned from peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and databases of both CRC and other cancers. The selected biomarkers, accessible on the cell surface and preferably on the luminal surface of the colon tissue, are organized into three categories: (1) established biomarkers (those with considerable data and high confidence), (2) emerging biomarkers (those with increasing research interest but with less supporting data), and (3) novel candidates (those with very recent data, and/or supportive evidence from other tissue systems). We also present an overview of recent advances in imaging techniques useful for visual detection of surface biomarkers, and discuss the ease with which these methods can be combined with microscopic visualization.

Sulfasalazine synergistically enhances the inhibitory effects of imatinib against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by targeting NFκB, BCR/ABL, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related fatalities worldwide. Identification of second-line therapies for patients with progressive HCC is urgently required as the use of sorafenib and/or regorafenib remains unsatisfactory. Imatinib, a small-molecule kinase inhibitor, is used to treat certain types of cancer, and nuclear factor κB (NFκB) is a positive regulator of cancer cell expansion. The combined use of tyrosine kinase and NFκB inhibitors may have potential for treating HCC. The aim of this work was to assess the potential anticarcinogenic effects of imatinib and sulfasalazine alone or in combination on the human HCC cell lines HEPG2 and Huh-7. Both drugs were shown to affect the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of translation (p-STAT-3), breakpoint cluster region protein/Abelson proto-oncogene and NFκB pathways. At the transcriptional level, imatinib and sulfasalazine were found to synergistically down-regulate c-MET gene expression. When compared with the activities of either medication alone, combined use of imatinib and sulfasalazine enhanced inhibition of HCC cell proliferation and extended induction of apoptosis. In summary, the presented data suggest that sulfasalazine synergistically potentiates the antitumor effects of imatinib.

Recent Advances in Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Colorectal Cancers

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. Recent advances in recombinant DNA technology have led to the development of numerous therapeutic antibodies as major sources of blockbuster drugs for CRC therapy. Simultaneously, increasing numbers of therapeutic targets in CRC have been identified. In this review, we first highlight the physiological and pathophysiological roles and signaling mechanisms of currently known and emerging therapeutic targets, including growth factors and their receptors as well as immune checkpoint proteins, in CRC. Additionally, we discuss the current status of monoclonal antibodies in clinical development and approved by US Food and Drug Administration for CRC therapy.

Oncogenic long intervening noncoding RNA Linc00284 promotes c-Met expression by sponging miR-27a in colorectal cancer

Emerging evidences suggest that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Here, the aim of this study is to investigate the biological function of long intervening noncoding RNA Linc00284 in colorectal cancer (CRC). The expression levels of Linc00284, miR-27a and c-Met were evaluated by qPCR and/or Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Ki67 and Phh3 in tumor tissues. The interaction between Linc00284, miR-27a and c-Met was validated by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Cell function experiments, including CCK-8, wound-healing and transwell invasion assays, were conducted. The in vivo studies were performed with the subcutaneous tumor xenograft mouse models. Our findings reveal that Linc00284 is upregulated in CRC tissues and colorectal cancer cell lines HCT116 and SW480 in comparison with corresponding para-carcinoma tissues and human fetal colonic mucosa cells FHC. High expression of Linc00284 in tumor tissues is associated with tumor metastasis and predicts a poor clinical outcome in CRC patients. Serum Linc00284 is increased, while miR-27a is decreased in CRC patients compared to healthy controls. ROC curve analysis indicates that serum Linc00284 and miR-27a produce the area under the curve (AUC) value of at 0.8151 and 0.7316 in patients with colorectal cancer compared to healthy individuals, respectively. Additionally, results in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that Linc00284 silencing significantly suppresses CRC cell proliferation and/or invasion. Mechanistically, Linc00284 promotes c-Met expression by acting as miR-27a sponge, leading to the activation of downstream signaling pathways, thereby causing malignant phenotypes of CRC cells. Taken together, Linc00284 exhibits oncogenic function and the disturbance of Linc00284/miR-27a/c-Met regulatory axis contributes to CRC progression, providing new insight into the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Importantly, the expression levels of serum Linc00284 and miR-27a may serve as clinical biomarkers for CRC diagnosis.

hsa_circRNA_000166 Facilitated Cell Growth and Limited Apoptosis through Targeting miR-326/LASP1 Axis in Colorectal Cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) belong to noncoding RNAs and are widely expressed in a variety of cell species, including cancers. However, the function and mechanism of circRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been well investigated. Here, we firstly downloaded and analyzed the circRNA expression profile of CRC from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. And we identified 181 differentially expressed circRNAs between 10 pairs of CRC and adjacent normal tissues. Interestingly, we observed that the expression of hsa_circRNA_000166 was the top increased among these circRNAs. Then, we confirmed an upregulation of hsa_circRNA_000166 in CRC tissues and cell lines and observed that higher expression of hsa_circRNA_000166 was associated with poor 5-year survival rate of patients with CRC. Next, we investigated the function of hsa_circRNA_000166 during CRC progression by knocking down its expression. Cell growth and apoptosis assay revealed that hsa_circRNA_000166 regulated the cell growth and apoptosis in CRC cell lines. Furthermore, we identified that hsa_circRNA_000166 targeted the miR-326/LASP1 pathway using bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay. Finally, suppression of miR-326 or overexpression of LASP1 could sufficiently rescue the aberrant cell growth and apoptosis in CRC cell lines. Taken together, our results indicated that downregulation of hsa_circRNA_000166 inhibited the cell growth and facilitated apoptosis during CRC development by sponging the miR-326/LASP1 pathway.

CREB5 promotes invasiveness and metastasis in colorectal cancer by directly activating MET

BACKGROUND

cAMP responsive element binding protein 5 (CREB5) is a transcriptional activator in eukaryotic cells that can regulate gene expression. Previously, we found that CREB5 was involved in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC) using bioinformatics analysis. However, the biological roles and underlying regulatory mechanism of CREB5 in CRC remain unclear.

METHODS

Real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to examine CREB5 expression. In vitro experiments including migration assay, wound-healing assay, chicken chorioallantoic membrane assay, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells tube formation assay were used to investigate the effects of CREB5 on CRC cell migration and tumor angiogenesis ability. Additionally, an orthotopic implantation assay was performed in nude mice to confirm the effects of CREB5 in vivo. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis was performed to explore the potential mechanism of CREB5 in CRC.

RESULTS

We found that CREB5 expression was highly upregulated in CRC. CREB5 overexpression was positively correlated with advanced WHO stages and TNM stages and shorter survival in CRC patients. Moreover, CREB5 overexpression promoted while CREB5 silencing reduced the invasiveness and metastatic capacity of CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, CREB5 directly interacted with the MET promoter and activated the hepatocyte growth factor-MET signalling pathway. Importantly, inhibition of MET reduced the invasion and metastasis of CREB5-overexpressing CRC cells, suggesting that CREB5 promotes metastasis mainly through activation of MET signalling.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates a crucial role for CREB5 in CRC metastasis by directly upregulating MET expression. CREB5 may be both a potential prognostic marker and a therapeutic target to effectively overcome metastasis in CRC.

N-Glycoproteins Have a Major Role in MGL Binding to Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines: Associations with Overall Proteome Diversity

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-leading cause of cancer death worldwide due in part to a high proportion of patients diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease. For this reason, many efforts have been made towards new approaches for early detection and prognosis. Cancer-associated aberrant glycosylation, especially the Tn and STn antigens, can be detected using the macrophage galactose-type C-type lectin (MGL/CLEC10A/CD301), which has been shown to be a promising tool for CRC prognosis. We had recently identified the major MGL-binding glycoproteins in two high-MGL-binding CRC cells lines, HCT116 and HT29. However, we failed to detect the presence of O-linked Tn and STn glycans on most CRC glycoproteins recognized by MGL. We therefore investigated here the impact of N-linked and O-linked glycans carried by these proteins for the binding to MGL. In addition, we performed quantitative proteomics to study the major differences in proteins involved in glycosylation in these cells. Our results showed that N-glycans have a significant, previously underestimated, importance in MGL binding to CRC cell lines. Finally, we highlighted both common and cell-specific processes associated with a high-MGL-binding phenotype, such as differential levels of enzymes involved in protein glycosylation, and a transcriptional factor (CDX-2) involved in their regulation.

Circular RNA circBFAR promotes the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via the miR-34b-5p/MET/Akt axis

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important participants in cancer progression. However, the biological processes and underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are unclear.

Method

CircRNAs were verified by Sanger sequencing. Colony formation, 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), and Transwell assays were performed to investigate the effect of circBFAR on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of PDAC cells in vitro. RNA pull-down assays were conducted to verify the binding of circBFAR with microRNA miR-34b-5p.

Results

In the present study, we identified a novel circRNA (termed as circBFAR, hsa_circ_0009065) that was upregulated in a 208-case cohort of patients with PDAC. The ectopic expression of circBFAR correlated positively with the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and was related to poorer prognosis of patients with PDAC. Moreover, circBFAR knockdown dramatically inhibited the proliferation and motility of PDAC cells in vitro and their tumor-promoting and metastasis properties in in vivo models. Mechanistically, circBFAR upregulated mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) expression via sponging miR-34b-5p. Additionally, circBFAR overexpression increased the expression of MET and activated downstream phosphorylation of Akt (Ser 473) and further activated the MET/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which ultimately promoted the progression of PDAC cells. Importantly, application of MET inhibitors could significantly attenuate circBFAR-mediated tumorigenesis in vivo.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that circBFAR plays an important role in the proliferation and metastasis of PDAC, which might be explored as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for PDAC.

Plasma HGF concentration in patients with brain tumors

The Hepatocyte Growth Factor is a strong mitogenic factor and seems to play important role in tumor angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to analyse the plasma concentration of this factor in patients treated surgically because of intracranial tumors. The study included 47 patients, both sexes treated surgically for intracranial tumors and 30 adult volunteers of both sexes, without cancer diagnosis. In study group 4 measurements of plasma HGF were taken: measurement 1: within 24 hours to 1 hour before the operation (preoperative), measurement 2: on the first day after the operation, i.e. after 24 hours, measurement 3: between the third and fifth day following the treatment, i.e. within 72-120 hours, and measurement 4: on the seventh day after the operation, i.e. after 840 hours. In control group only one measurement was taken. The distribution of the analyzed parameters was different from the normal distribution, therefore nonparametric statistics were used. The result values are presented in the form of a median (Me). The analysis revealed that HGR plasma levels in the patients with intracranial tumors in all 4 measurements (Me1 = 543.16 pg/ml, Me2 = 762.59 pg/ml, Me3 = 819.82 pg/ml, Me4 = 804.82 pg/ml) in the perioperative period were elevated in comparison to healthy subjects (Me = 361.04 pg/ml). The association has been shown to exist between postoperative HGF plasma levels and the clinical condition of patients with intracranial tumors (p = 0.0342). Postoperative HGF levels correlated negatively with the patients' postoperative condition. It was also found that in patients with supratentorial tumors HGF plasma levels were higher (Me = 557.74 pg/ml) in comparison to patients with posterior fossa tumors (Me = 325.00 pg/ml). These results suggest increased angiogenic and mitogenic activity in patients with intracranial tumors and its even greater intensity in the postoperative period. Greater angiogenic activity appears to occur in patients with supratentorial tumors.

Cinnoline Scaffold-A Molecular Heart of Medicinal Chemistry?

The cinnoline nucleus is a very important bicyclic heterocycle that is used as the structural subunit of many compounds with interesting pharmaceutical properties. Cinnoline derivatives exhibit broad spectrum of pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic and antitumor activities. Some of them are under evaluation in clinical trials. In the present review, we have compiled studies focused on the biological properties of cinnoline derivatives conducted by many research groups worldwide between 2005 and 2019. Comprehensive and target oriented information clearly indicate that the development of cinnoline based molecules constitute a significant contribution to the identification of lead compounds with optimized pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties.