Clinical Significance and Prognosis Value of Wnt Signaling Pathway in Cervical Cancer

Analysis of Correlation Between LncRNA TDRG1 Expression and its Prognosis in Cervical Carcinoma Tissues

To explore and analyze the correlation between LncRNA TDRG1 expression degree and the prognosis of cervical carcinoma tissues. The cervical cancer tissues and para-carcinoma tissues of 106 patients with cervical carcinoma surgically removed in our hospital were chosen as specimens. LncRNA TDRG1 expression in cervical carcinoma tissues and para-carcinoma tissues was inspected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the correlation between LncRNA TDRG1 and the clinicopathological parameters and disease prognosis was analyzed. The relative expression of LncRNA TDRG1 in cervical carcinoma tissues was critically gone up (P < 0.05) compared to para-carcinoma tissues. The relative expression of LncRNA TDRG1 in cervical carcinoma was correlated with FIGO staging, lymph node metastasis, infiltrating depth of cervical basal, and the differentiation of cancer cells (P < 0.05). According to the results of the Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank test, the overall survival conditions of subjects with low-lncRNA TDRG1 were superior to that of those with high-lncRNA TDRG1 expression (P < 0.05). The expression of LncRNA TDRG1 in cervical carcinoma tissues and the clinicopathological features in predicting the overall survival (OS) in sufferers with cervical carcinoma were investigated by the Cox regression model. LncRNA TDRG1 expression in cervical carcinoma tissues is tightly associated with the progression and prognosis of cervical carcinoma, which may be a latent biological indicator for clinical diagnosis and prognosis of cervical carcinoma.

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Brominated-Ormeloxifene (Br-ORM) against Cervical Cancer

Aberrant regulation of β-catenin signaling is strongly linked with cancer proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis, thus, small molecules that can inhibit this pathway might have great clinical significance. Our molecular modeling studies suggest that ormeloxifene (ORM), a triphenylethylene molecule that docks with β-catenin, and its brominated analogue (Br-ORM) bind more effectively with relatively less energy (-7.6 kcal/mol) to the active site of β-catenin as compared to parent ORM. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a Br-ORM by NMR and FTIR, as well as its anticancer activity in cervical cancer models. Br-ORM treatment effectively inhibited tumorigenic features (cell proliferation and colony-forming ability, etc.) and induced apoptotic death, as evident by pronounced PARP cleavage. Furthermore, Br-ORM treatment caused cell cycle arrest at the G1-S phase. Mechanistic investigation revealed that Br-ORM targets the key proteins involved in promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as demonstrated by upregulation of E-cadherin and repression of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, MMP-2, and MMP-9 expression. Br-ORM also represses the expression and nuclear subcellular localization of β-catenin. Consequently, Br-ORM treatment effectively inhibited tumor growth in an orthotopic cervical cancer xenograft mouse model along with EMT associated changes as compared to vehicle control-treated mice. Altogether, experimental findings suggest that Br-ORM is a novel, promising β-catenin inhibitor and therefore can be harnessed as a potent anticancer small molecule for cervical cancer treatment.

MicroRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs and gynecological cancers: focus on metastasis

Gynecologic cancer is a significant cause of death in women worldwide, with cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer being among the most well-known types. The initiation and progression of gynecologic cancers involve a variety of biological functions, including angiogenesis and metastasis-given that death mostly occurs from metastatic tumors that have invaded the surrounding tissues. Therefore, understanding the molecular pathways underlying gynecologic cancer metastasis is critical for enhancing patient survival and outcomes. Recent research has revealed the contribution of numerous non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) to metastasis and invasion of gynecologic cancer by affecting specific cellular pathways. This review focuses on three types of gynecologic cancer (ovarian, endometrial, and cervical) and three kinds of ncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs, microRNAs, and circular RNAs). We summarize the detailed role of non-coding RNAs in the different pathways and molecular interactions involved in the invasion and metastasis of these cancers.

Upregulation of SOX9 promotes the self-renewal and tumorigenicity of cervical cancer through activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Sry-box9 (SOX9) maintains stem cell properties and plays crucial roles in many cancers. However, whether SOX9 is correlated with cervical cancer cell stemness and its detailed mechanism remains obscure. We studied the relationship between SOX9 and prognosis of cervical cancer through public database, and SOX9 was related to poor prognosis of cervical cancer. Elevated SOX9 expression enhanced the self-renewal properties and promotes tumorigenicity in cervical cancer. Overexpression of SOX9 could promote the expression of stem cell-related factors in cervical cancer cells and xenografts. Meanwhile, overexpression of SOX9 could also enhance the expressions of FZD10, β-catenin, and c-Myc in cervical cancer cells and xenografts, while inhibiting the expression of DDK1. The activation of Wnt pathway by chir-99 021 raised the tumor spheroid ability of SOX9 knockdown HeLa cells. In addition, SOX9 could transcriptional inhibit DKK1 and activate FZD10 and MYC by binding to their promoters to affect the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These results demonstrated SOX9 regulated the self-renewal and tumorigenicity of cervical cancer through Wnt/β-catenin pathway by directly transcriptional activation of FZD10, MYC and transcriptional inhibition of DKK1.

Impact of CD40 gene polymorphisms on the risk of cervical squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. Genome-wide association studies have revealed multiple susceptible genes and their polymorphisms for cervical cancer risk. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CD40 gene and susceptibility to cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) in a population from the northeastern Han Chinese population.

METHODS

The three SNPs (rs1800686, rs3765459, and rs4810485) of the CD40 gene were analyzed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with next-generation sequencing methods in 421 patients with CSCC, 594 patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), and 504 healthy females. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the potential relationship between CD40 gene polymorphisms and CSCC, or HSIL.

RESULTS

Our research results showed the AA genotype of rs1800686 had a protective effect on CSCC in comparison to the GG genotype and AG+GG genotypes (AA vs. GG: p = 0.0389 and AA vs. AG+GG: p = 0.0280, respectively). After FDR correction, the results were still statistically significant (p = 0.0389 and p = 0.0389, respectively). Similarly, rs3765459 showed a reduced risk association for CSCC in the codominant and recessive models (AA vs. GG: p = 0.0286 and AA vs. AG+GG: p = 0.0222, respectively). Significant differences remained after FDR correction (p = 0.0286 and p = 0.0286, respectively). However, these differences were no longer significant after the Bonferroni correction. In addition, the genotypes for the rs4810485 polymorphisms were associated with parity of the patients with CSCC. The genotypes for the rs3765459 polymorphisms were significantly correlated with the D-dimer of the patients with CSCC. The 3 SNPs genotypes of the CD40 gene were closely related to the squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) of the patients with HSIL.

CONCLUSIONS

The CD40 gene may play a role in the occurrence and development of CSCC.

Exosome-Mediated Transfer of miR-1323 from Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Confers Radioresistance of C33A Cells by Targeting PABPN1 and Activating Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Cervical Cancer

Plenty of pieces of evidence suggest that the resistance to radiotherapy greatly influences the therapeutic effect in cervical cancer (CCa). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate cellular processes by acting as tumor suppressors or promoters, thereby driving radioresistance or radiosensitivity. Meanwhile, it has been reported that microRNA-1323 (miR-1323) widely participates in cancer progression and radiotherapy effects. However, the role of miR-1323 is still not clear in CCa. Hence, in this study, we are going to investigate the molecular mechanism of miR-1323 in CCa cells. In the beginning, miR-1323 was found aberrantly upregulated in CCa cells via RT-qPCR assay. Functional assays indicated that miR-1323 was transferred by cancer-associated fibroblasts-secreted (CAFs-secreted) exosomes and miR-1323 downregulation suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and increased cell radiosensitivity in CCa. Mechanism assays demonstrated that miR-1323 targeted poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1). Besides, PABPN1 recruited insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) to regulate glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3β) and influenced Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, rescue experiments were implemented to validate that PABPN1 overexpression rescued the inhibited cancer development and radioresistance induced by the miR-1323 inhibitor. In conclusion, miR-1323 was involved in CCa progression and radioresistance which might provide a novel insight for CCa treatment.

HNF4A Regulates the Proliferation and Tumor Formation of Cervical Cancer Cells through the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4A) is a transcriptional factor which plays an important role in the development of the liver, kidney, and intestines. Nevertheless, its role in cervical cancer and the underlying mechanism remain unknown. In this study, both immunohistochemistry and western blotting revealed that the expression of HNF4A was downregulated in cervical cancer. Xenograft assays suggested that HN4A could inhibit tumorigenic potential of cervical cancer in vivo. Functional studies illustrated that HNF4A also inhibited the proliferation and viability of cervical cancer cells in vitro. In addition, FACS analysis implied that HNF4A could induce cell cycle arrest from the G0/G1 phase to S phase. Further studies suggested that HNF4A downregulated the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Altogether, our data demonstrated that HNF4A inhibited tumor formation and proliferation of cervical cancer cells through suppressing the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

The CpG island methylator phenotype increases the risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer

Background

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer, but additional alterations are necessary for its development. Abnormal DNA methylation has an important role in the origin and dissemination of cervical cancer and other human tumors. In this work, we analyzed the methylation of eight genes (AJAP1, CDH1, CDH13, MAGI2, MGMT, MYOD1, RASSF1A and SOX17) that participate in several biological processes for the maintenance of cell normality. We analyzed DNA methylation by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and HPV infection using the INNO‑LiPA genotyping kit in 59 samples diagnostic of normal cervical tissue (non-SIL), 107 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), 29 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) and 51 cervical cancers (CCs).

Results

We found that all samples of LSIL, HSIL, and CC were HPV-positive, and the genotypes with higher frequencies were 16, 18, 51 and 56. In general, the genes analyzed displayed a significant tendency toward an increase in methylation levels according to increasing cervical lesion severity, except for the CDH13 gene. High CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) was associated with a 50.6-fold (95% CI 4.72–2267.3)-increased risk of HSIL and a 122-fold risk of CC (95% CI 10.04–5349.7).

Conclusions

We found that CIMP high was significantly associated with HSIL and CC risk. These results could indicate that CIMP together with HR-HPV infection and other factors participates in the development of HSIL and CC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13148-021-01224-0.

Knockdown of lncRNA NEAT1 suppresses proliferation and migration, and induces apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by regulating the miR‑377/FGFR1 axis

To investigate the role of NEAT1 and the microRNA (miR)-377/fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) axis in cervical cancer (CC), the expression levels of NEAT1, FGFR1 and miR-377 were detected in CC tissues and cell lines. NEAT1 or FGFR1 was knocked down by transfection with short hairpin RNA (sh)-NEAT1 or sh-FGFR1, and miR-377 was overexpressed by transfection with miR-377 mimics in HeLa and C33A cells. Cell viability and migration were measured using MTT and Transwell assays, respectively. Cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. A dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the presence of binding sites between miR-377 and FGFR1. The results revealed that the expression levels of NEAT1 and FGFR1 were significantly elevated, whereas miR-377 expression was markedly decreased in CC tissues and cell lines. In HeLa and C33A cells, after NEAT1 knockdown, miR-377 expression was increased, cell viability and migration were inhibited, and apoptosis was induced. Similarly, silencing FGFR1 inhibited cell viability and migration, and induced apoptosis of HeLa and C33A cells. A dual luciferase reporter gene assay verified a targeting relationship between NEAT1 and miR-377. Inhibition of miR-377 or overexpression of FGFR1 reversed the effects of NEAT1 knockdown on cell function in HeLa and C33A cells. Moreover, a dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that FGFR1 was a direct target of miR-377. In conclusion, suppression of NEAT1 inhibited cell viability and migration, and promoted apoptosis of CC cells, and these effects were achieved through regulation of the miR-377/FGFR1 axis.

LncRNA SNHG6 facilitates cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT by upregulating UCK2 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is a most prevalent gynecological malignancy around the world. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recognized as crucial players in the cellular activities of diverse cancers including cervical cancer. We aimed to reveal the biological function of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) in cervical cancer. Our findings illuminated that SNHG6 expression was elevated in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines, and highly expressed SNHG6 was associated with poor outcome in patients with cervical cancer. Moreover, knockdown of SNHG6 repressed cervical cancer development via inhibiting cell proliferation and migration and accelerating cell apoptosis. Further, SNHG6 was a sponge of miR-485-3p and uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) was the functional target of miR-485-3p. SNHG6 increased UCK2 expression by binding with miR-485-3p in cervical cancer cells. The rescue experiments showed that SNHG6 contributed to malignant phenotypes of cervical cancer cells by the miR-485-3p/UCK2 axis. Additionally, SNHG6 activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to enhance the proliferative and migratory ability of cervical cancer cells. Overall, this work revealed that SNHG6 promoted malignant behaviors of cervical cancer cells by binding with miR-485-3p to regulate UCK2 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which may offer a beneficial direction to treat cervical cancer.

Long non-coding RNA KCNQ1OT1 facilitates the progression of cervical cancer and tumor growth through modulating miR-296-5p/HYOU1 axis

Literature reports that lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 is markedly up-regulated in cervical cancer (CC) tissues and cell lines, and KCNQ1OT1 can promote the proliferation and metastasis of CC cells. This current work was designed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the participation of KCNQ1OT1 in CC progression. Herein, RT-qPCR was utilized for determining the levels of KCNQ1OT1, miR-296-5p and HYOU1 in clinical tumor tissue specimens and CC cell lines. Then, starBase predicted the complementary binding sites of KCNQ1OT1 and miR-296-5p or miR-296-5p and HYOU1. Dual-luciferase reporter assay/RIP assay validated the interplays among KCNQ1OT1/miR-296-5p/HYOU1. In addition, CCK-8, wound healing and transwell assays were employed to assess the proliferative, migrative and invasive properties of CC cells. Moreover, nude mice xenograft model was established by subcutaneously injection with SiHa cells in order to validate the precise functions of KCNQ1OT1/miR-296-5p/HYOU1 axis in CC in vivo. Besides, Immunohistochemical staining examined Ki-67 expression in xenograft tumors and western blotting analysis detected expressions of MMP2/9 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in CC cells and xenograft tumors. Elevated KCNQ1OT1 and HYOU1 as well as reduced miR-296-5p were observed in clinical tumor tissue specimens and CC cell lines. Results revealed that upregulation of miR-296-5p counteracted the enhancing effects of overexpressed KCNQ1OT1 on the proliferative, migrative and invasive abilities of CC cells. Additionally, HYOU1 overexpression abolished the suppressing effects of silenced KCNQ1OT1 on the malignant behaviors of CC cells and tumor growth. To conclude, KCNQ1OT1 could aggravate the malignant behaviors of CC and facilitate tumor growth through modulating miR-296-5p/HYOU1 axis.

Identifying a cervical cancer survival signature based on mRNA expression and genome-wide copy number variations

Cervical cancer mortality is the second highest in gynecological cancers. This study developed a new model based on copy number variation data and mRNA data for overall survival prediction of cervical cancer. Differentially expressed genes from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset detected by univariate Cox regression analysis were further simplified to six by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) and stepwise Akaike information criterion (stepAIC). The study developed a six-gene signature, which was further verified in independent dataset. Association between immune infiltration and risk score was investigated by immune score. The relation between the signature and functional pathways was examined by gene set enrichment analysis. Ninety-nine differentially expressed genes were detected, and C11orf80, FOXP3, GSN, HCCS, PGAM5, and RIBC2 were identified as key genes to construct a six-gene signature. The prognostic signature showed a significant correlation with overall survival (hazard ratio, HR = 3.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.08-5.72, p < 0.00001). Immune score showed a negative correlation with the risk score calculated by the signature (p < 0.05). Four immune-related pathways were closely associated with risk score (p < 0.0001). The six-gene prognostic signature was an effective tool to predict overall survival of cervical cancer. In conclusion, the newly identified six genes may be considered as new drug targets for cervical cancer treatment.

Exosomes: Emerging modulators of signal transduction in colorectal cancer from molecular understanding to clinical application

Exosomes are small cell derived membrane nano-vesicles that carry various components including lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. There is accumulating evidence that exosomes have a role in tumorigenesis, tumor invasiveness and metastasis. Furthermore, oncogene mutation may influence exosome release from tumor cells. Exosomes may induce colorectal cancer by altering signaling cascades such as the Wnt/β-catenin and KRAS pathways that are involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, dissemination, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. The aim of this review was to overview recent findings evaluating the association between tumor cells-derived exosomes and their content in modulating signaling pathways in colorectal cancer.

Metabolism-Relevant Molecular Classification Identifies Tumor Immune Microenvironment Characterization and Immunotherapeutic Effect in Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer (CESC) is a gynecologic malignant tumor associated with high incidence and mortality rates because of its distinctive management complexity. Herein, we characterized the molecular features of CESC based on the metabolic gene expression profile by establishing a novel classification system and a scoring system termed as METAscore. Integrative analysis was performed on human CESC samples from TCGA dataset. Unsupervised clustering of RNA sequencing data on 2,752 formerly described metabolic genes identified three METAclusters. These METAclusters for overall survival time, immune characteristics, metabolic features, transcriptome features, and immunotherapeutic effectiveness existed distinct differences. Then we analyzed 207 DEGs among the three METAclusters and as well identified three geneclusters. Correspondingly, these three geneclusters also differently expressed among the aforementioned features, supporting the reliability of the metabolism-relevant molecular classification. Finally METAscore was constructed which emerged as an independent prognostic biomarker, related to CESC transcriptome features, metabolic features, immune characteristics, and linked to the sensitivity of immunotherapy for individual patient. These findings depicted a new classification and a scoring system in CESC based on the metabolic pattern, thereby furthering the understanding of CESC genetic signatures and aiding in the prediction of the effectiveness to anticancer immunotherapies.

HDAC6 suppresses microRNA-199a transcription and augments HPV-positive cervical cancer progression through Wnt5a upregulation

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is a major risk factor for the initiation and progression of cervical cancer (CC). This study aimed to explore the role of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) in HPV-positive CC and the molecules implicated. Differentially expressed genes between HPV-positive and HPV-negative tissues, and differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) in cells after HDAC6 downregulation were identified using microarray analyses. The expression profiles of HDAC6 and miR-199a and their cellular functions were investigated via loss-of-function studies. Xenograft tumors were induced in mice for in vivo studies. HDAC6 and Wnt5a were highly expressed, whereas miR-199a was poorly expressed in HPV-positive CC tissues. Downregulation of HDAC6 reduced proliferation, migration, invasion, and resistance to apoptosis of HPV-positive CC cells. HDAC6 suppressed the transcription of miR-199a, and miR-199a targeted Wnt5a to inactivate the Wnt signaling pathway. Further downregulation of miR-199a blocked the inhibitory effect of HDAC6 silencing on CC cell growth both in vivo and in vitro, whereas further artificial inhibition of Wnt5a inactivated Wnt signaling and blocked the malignant behaviors of CC cells. This study showed that HDAC6 suppresses the transcription of miR-199a and enhances the progression of HPV-positive cervical cancer through upregulation of Wnt5a.

[ENTPD5 gene is highly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer: analysis based on Oncomine database and bioinformatics]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of ENTPD5 in epithelial ovarian cancer and explore its clinical implications.

OBJECTIVE

The expression level of ENTPD5 in epithelial ovarian cancer was analyzed based on data from Oncomine and TCGA databases. The relationship between the expression level of ENTPD5 and clinical characteristics of the patients was analyzed using UALCAN database. Gene enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the possible role of ENTPD5 in the occurrence and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. CIBERSORT package was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of ENTPD5 and immune infiltration. The expression patterns of ENTPD5 were verified in 23 epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and 15 normal ovarian tissues using RT-qPCR and Western blotting; the expression of ENTPD5 protein was also detected immunohistochemically in 50 paraffin-embedded samples of epithelial ovarian cancer and 6 normal ovarian tissues.

OBJECTIVE

Analysis of Oncomine and TCGA databases showed that the expression of ENTPD5 was significantly higher in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues than in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.05), and its expression level was negatively correlated with the survival rate of the patients (P < 0.05). Data from UALCAN database showed that the expression level of ENTPD5 was related with the age of patients. The results of GSEA suggested that ENTPD5 was involved in ABC transporter, WNT signaling pathway and insulin signaling, and the expression of ENTPD5 was negatively correlated with the contents of NK cells, mast cells and eosinophils (P < 0.05). In clinical samples of epithelial ovarian cancer tissues, the expression of ENTPD5 was significantly higher than that in normal ovarian tissues at both the mRNA (P < 0.01) and protein (P < 0.05) levels. The paraffinembedded samples also showed significantly higher expressions of ENTPD5 in epithelial ovarian cancer than in normal ovarian tissues (P < 0.05).

OBJECTIVE

ENTPD5 is highly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer, which may promote the occurrence and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer by participating in multiple functional processes and cellular immune infiltration.

TCF7L1 Genetic Variants Are Associated with the Susceptibility to Cervical Cancer in a Chinese Population

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common tumor in women worldwide. Studies have been accepted that genetic variations play an important role in the development of CC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of TCF7L1 variants on CC risk.

Methods

508 patients of cervical cancer and 497 healthy subjects were recruited to determine the impact of TCF7L1 polymorphisms on CC susceptibility. The associations were investigated by computing odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. The effect of SNP-SNP interactions on CC risk was explored by multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis.

Results

Our study showed that rs11904127 (OR 0.79, p = 0.010) and rs62162674 (OR 0.82, p = 0.044) of TCF7L1 significantly decreased cervical cancer risk. Stratified analysis indicated that rs11904127 and rs62162674 present decreased susceptibility to CC in age > 51 years (OR 0.74, p = 0.019; OR 0.72, p = 0.014, respectively). Haplotype analyses revealed that G_rs2366264T_rs11689667C_rs62162674 has a lower risk to cervical cancer (OR = 0.43, p = 0.018). Besides, there is strong interaction of rs11904127 and rs2366264.

Conclusion

Rs11904127 and rs62162674 in TCF7L1 are related to cervical cancer. We suggest that these variants can be used as prognostic markers for judging the susceptibility to cervical cancer.

Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer: Role of HPV 16 Variants

Metabolic reprogramming is considered one of the hallmarks in cancer and is characterized by increased glycolysis and lactate production, even in the presence of oxygen, which leads the cancer cells to a process called “aerobic glycolysis” or “Warburg effect”. The E6 and E7 oncoproteins of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) favor the Warburg effect through their interaction with a molecule that regulates cellular metabolism, such as p53, retinoblastoma protein (pRb), c-Myc, and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Besides, the impact of the E6 and E7 variants of HPV 16 on metabolic reprogramming through proteins such as HIF-1α may be related to their oncogenicity by favoring cellular metabolism modifications to satisfy the energy demands necessary for viral persistence and cancer development. This review will discuss the role of HPV 16 E6 and E7 variants in metabolic reprogramming and their contribution to developing and preserving the malignant phenotype of cancers associated with HPV 16 infection.

Potential Effect of Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf Extract and Metabolite Physodic Acid on Tumour Microenvironment Modulation in MCF-10A Cells

Lichens comprise a number of unique secondary metabolites with remarkable biological activities and have become an interesting research topic for cancer therapy. However, only a few of these metabolites have been assessed for their effectiveness against various in vitro models. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of extract Pseudevernia furfuracea (L.) Zopf (PSE) and its metabolite physodic acid (Phy) on tumour microenvironment (TME) modulation, focusing on epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) transformation and angiogenesis. Here, we demonstrate, by using flow cytometry, Western blot and immunofluorescence microscopy, that tested compounds inhibited the EMT process in MCF-10A breast cells through decreasing the level of different mesenchymal markers in a time- and dose-dependent manner. By the same mechanisms, PSE and Phy suppressed the function of Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-stimulated fibroblasts. Moreover, PSE and Phy resulted in a decreasing level of the TGF-β canonical pathway Smad2/3, which is essential for tumour growth. Furthermore, PSE and Phy inhibited angiogenesis ex ovo in a quail embryo chorioallantoic model, which indicates their potential anti-angiogenic activity. These results also provided the first evidence of the modulation of TME by these substances.

miR-326 inhibits the cell proliferation and cancer stem cell-like property of cervical cancer in vitro and oncogenesis in vivo via targeting TCF4

Background

Cervical cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent female malignancies globally, and its treatment with new targets has been the focus of current research. The present study set out to investigate the function of microRNA-326 (miR-326) in vitro and in vivo and to verify the direct targeting of transcription factor 4 (TCF4) by miR-326.

Methods

The detection of messenger RNA (mRNA) expressing miR-326 and TCF4 in cervical cancer cell lines and tumor samples was conducted using quantitative real-time polymerase chain (qRT-PCR). A dual-luciferase reporter assay was carried out to detect the target relationship of miR-326 with TCF4. A Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was employed to detect the effect of miR-326 on CasKi cell viability. Flow cytometry and western blotting were employed to examine the effects of miR-326 on cancer stem cell (CSC)-like property. Tumor weight was measured in orthotopic xenograft mouse models. Immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze the protein expression levels of Ki-67, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), CD44, and SRY-box 4 (SOX4).

Result

Downregulation of the mRNA expression levels of miR-326 was observed in cervical cancer cell lines and tumor tissue, while the levels of TCF4 were upregulated. The dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed binding of miR-326 to the three prime untranslated region (3'-UTR) of TCF4. In vitro assays demonstrated that miR-326 inhibited CasKi cell proliferation through regulating TCF4. miR-326 also suppressed the CSC-like property of CasKi cells by targeting TCF4. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of cyclin D1, β-catenin, and c-Myc were decreased when miR-326 was added to TCF4-transfected cells. In vivo assays demonstrated that miR-326 inhibited tumor weight, growth, and the protein expression levels of Ki-67, PCNA, CD44, SOX4, and β-catenin.

Conclusions

miR-326 acted in a tumor-suppressive manner through its regulation of TCF4, and has potential as a biomarker or therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Integrated Profiles Analysis Identified a Coding-Non-Coding Signature for Predicting Lymph Node Metastasis and Prognosis in Cervical Cancer

Accumulating evidence has shown that lymph node metastasis (LNM) is not only an important prognostic factor but also an indicator of the need for postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Therefore, identifying risk factors or molecular markers related to LNM is critical for predicting the prognosis and guiding individualized treatment of patients with cervical cancer. In this study, we used the machine learning-based feature selection approach to identify eight optimal biomarkers from the list of 250 differentially expressed protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the TCGA cohort. Then a coding-non-coding signature (named CNC8SIG) was developed using the elastic-net logistic regression approach based on the expression levels of eight optimal biomarkers, which is useful in discriminating patients with LNM from those without LNM in the discovery cohort. The predictive performance of the CNC8SIG was further validated in two independent patient cohorts. Moreover, the CNC8SIG was significantly associated with patient's survival in different patient cohorts. In silico functional analysis suggested that the CNC8SIG-associated mRNAs are enriched in known cancer-related biological pathways such as the Wnt signaling pathway, the Ras signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Systems Pharmacology Study of the Anticervical Cancer Mechanisms of FDY003

Increasing data support that herbal medicines are beneficial in the treatment of cervical cancer; however, their mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated. In the current study, we used a systems pharmacology approach to explore the pharmacological mechanisms of FDY003, an anticancer herbal formula comprising Lonicera japonica Thunberg, Artemisia capillaris Thunberg, and Cordyceps militaris (Linn.) Link, in the treatment of cervical cancer. Through the pharmacokinetic assessment of absorption-distribution-metabolism-excretion characteristics, we found 18 active compounds that might interact with 106 cervical cancer-related targets responsible for the pharmacological effects. FDY003 targets were significantly associated with gene ontology terms related to the regulation of cellular behaviors, including cell proliferation, cell cycle processes, cell migration, cell apoptosis, cell death, and angiogenesis. The therapeutic targets of the herbal drug were further enriched in various oncogenic pathways that are implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of cervical cancer, including the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, focal adhesion, human papillomavirus infection, and tumor necrosis factor signaling pathways. Our study provides a systematic approach to explore the anticancer properties of herbal medicines against cervical cancer.

GJA1 Expression and Its Prognostic Value in Cervical Cancer

Gap Junction Protein Alpha 1 (GJA1) belongs to the gap junction family and has been widely studied in cancers. We evaluated the role of GJA1 in cervical cancer (CC) using public data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The difference of GJA1 expression level between CC and normal tissues was analyzed by the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), six GEO datasets, and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA). The relationship between clinicopathological features and GJA1 expression was analyzed by the chi-squared test and the logistic regression. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to assessing the effect of GJA1 expression on survival. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to screen the signaling pathways regulated by GJA1. Immune Cell Abundance Identifier (ImmuCellAI) was chosen to analyze the immune cells affected by GJA1. The expression of GJA1 in CC was significantly lower than that in normal tissues based on the GEPIA, GEO datasets, and HPA. Both the chi-squared test and the logistic regression showed that high-GJA1 expression was significantly correlated with keratinization, hormone use, tumor size, and FIGO stage. The Kaplan–Meier curves suggested that high-GJA1 expression could indicate poor prognosis (p = 0.0058). Multivariate analysis showed that high-GJA1 expression was an independent predictor of poor overall survival (HR, 4.084; 95% CI, 1.354-12.320; p = 0.013). GSEA showed many cancer-related pathways, such as the p53 signaling pathway and the Wnt signaling pathway, were enriched in the high-GJA1-expression group. Immune cell abundance analysis revealed that the abundance of CD8 naive, DC, and neutrophil was significantly increased in the high-GJA1-expression group. In conclusion, GJA1 can be regarded as a potential prognostic marker of poor survival and therapeutic target in CC. Moreover, many cancer-related pathways may be the critical pathways regulated by GJA1. Furthermore, GJA1 can affect the abundance of immune cells.

Six-lncRNA Immune Prognostic Signature for Cervical Cancer

Background

This study searched for immune-related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to predict the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer.

Method

We obtained immunologically relevant lncRNA expression profiles and clinical follow-up data from cervical cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and the Molecular Signatures Database. Cervical cancer patients were randomly divided into a training group, testing group and combined group. The immune prognostic signature was constructed by Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Cox regression, prognosis was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curves between different groups, and the accuracy of the prognostic model was assessed by receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) analysis.

Results

A six-lncRNA immune prognostic signature (LIPS) was constructed to predict the prognosis of cervical cancer. The six lncRNAs are as follows: AC009065.8, LINC01871, MIR210HG, GEMIN7-AS1, GAS5-AS1, and DLEU1. A ROC-AUC analysis indicated that the model could predict the prognosis of cervical cancer patients in different subgroups. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high risk scores had a poor prognosis; these results were equally meaningful in the subgroup analyses. Risk scores differed depending on the clinical pathology and tumor grade and were independent risk factors for cervical cancer prognosis. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed an association between the LIPS and the immune response, Wnt signaling pathway, and TGF beta signaling pathway.

Conclusion

Our study shows that the six-LIPS can predict the prognosis of cervical cancer and contribute to decisions regarding the immunotherapeutic strategy.

STIP1 down-regulation inhibits glycolysis by suppressing PKM2 and LDHA and inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in cervical carcinoma cells

AIMS

Glycolysis is an important process for cervical carcinoma development. Previous studies have indicated that stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 (STIP1) is associated with development of multiple tumors. Nevertheless, the role and mechanism of STIP1 in glycolysis of cervical carcinoma remain unclear.

MAIN METHODS

The association between STIP1 and survival probability and the correlation between STIP1 expression and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) as well as lactate dehydrogenase isoform A (LDHA) levels in cervical carcinoma were analyzed via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The expression of STIP1, PKM2, LDHA, and cytochrome c (Cyt C) was measured via western blot or quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability and apoptosis were examined via cell counting kit 8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Glycolysis was assessed via detection of glucose consumption and lactate production. The protein involved in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was measured via western blot.

KEY FINDINGS

STIP1 abundance was elevated in cervical carcinoma cells. High expression of STIP1 indicated poor survival probability. Knockdown of STIP1 inhibited cervical carcinoma cell viability and promoted apoptosis. STIP1 expression was positively correlated with PKM2 and LDHA levels in cervical carcinoma. Silence of STIP1 inhibited glycolysis and decreased PKM2 and LDHA expression. Down-regulation of STIP1 repressed the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Overexpression of β-catenin reversed the effect of STIP1 silence on viability, apoptosis, glycolysis, and levels of PKM2 and LDHA.

SIGNIFICANCE

STIP1 knockdown suppressed glycolysis in cervical carcinoma by inhibiting PKM2 and LDHA expression and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

HOXA5 inhibits the proliferation and neoplasia of cervical cancer cells via downregulating the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and transactivating TP53

HOXA5 is considered a regulator involved in embryonic development and cellular differentiation and a tumor suppressor. Nevertheless, its biological role in cervical carcinoma is still unclear. In the present study, immunohistochemistry showed that HOXA5 expression gradually decreased as the degree of cervical lesions deepened. Ectopic expression of HOXA5 restrained cell proliferation, decreased cell viability, and inhibited tumor formation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the expression of HOXA5 could arrest cell cycle from G0/G1 to S phase. RNA-seq revealed that p21 and cyclinD1 were involved in this process. Moreover, the gene set enrichment analysis and the TOP/FOP reporter assay both suggested that HOXA5 could restrain the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Further study using dual-luciferase reporter assay and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that HOXA5 could directly bind to the TAAT motif within the promoter of TP53 by its HD domain and transactivate TP53, which can upregulate p21. Altogether, our data suggest that HOXA5 inhibits the proliferation and neoplasia via repression activity of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and transactivating TP53 in cervical cancer.

Changes of miRNA Expression Profiles from Cervical-Vaginal Fluid-Derived Exosomes in Response to HPV16 Infection

As an oncogenic virus, HPV16 can lead to the dysfunction of cervical epithelial cells and contribute to the progression of cervical cancer. Components from the cervical-vaginal fluid (CVF) could be used as the basis for cervical cancer screening. Exosomes are widely present in various body fluids and participate in intercellular communication via its cargos of proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs. This study was conducted to explore the changes of miRNAs in exosomes isolated form the cervical-vaginal fluid during HPV16 infection and to predict the potential effects of exosomal miRNAs on the development of cervical cancer. CVF was collected from volunteers with or without HPV16 infection. The exosomes in CVF were identified by electron microscopy. Microarray analysis was subjected to find the differentially expressed miRNAs in CVF exosomes. To confirm the results, 16 miRNAs were randomly selected to go through real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, GO and pathway analyses were conducted to reveal potential functions of differentially expressed miRNAs. A total of 2548 conserved miRNAs were identified in the cervical-vaginal fluid-derived exosomes. In response to HPV16 infection, 45 miRNAs are significantly upregulated and 55 miRNAs are significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). The GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that these differentially expressed miRNAs are tightly associated with cervical cancer tumorigenesis, through interaction with the Notch signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and TGF-β signaling pathway. These results suggest that exosomal miRNAs in CVF are differentially expressed in HPV16 infection patients and HPV16-free volunteers. It provided a novel insight to understand the underlying mechanism of HPV16 infection in regulating cervical cancer progression.

Current status and perspectives regarding the association between allergic disorders and cancer

While activation of immune system may lead to a lower risk of some diseases, it has been shown that a history of atopic allergic disorders such as asthma, hay fever, eczema, and food allergies could be related to several types of cancer. However, the evidence is not entirely conclusive. Two proposals suggest a possible mechanism for the association between allergic disorders and cancers: immune surveillance and the antigenic stimulation. The association of allergy and cancer may vary by cancer site and the type of exposure. The aim of current review was to summarize the current knowledge of the association between allergic diseases and the risk of cancers with particular emphasis on case-controls and cohort studies to estimate the cancer risk associated with allergy.

Epigenetic age acceleration of cervical squamous cell carcinoma converged to human papillomavirus 16/18 expression, immunoactivation, and favourable prognosis

BACKGROUND

Ageing-associated molecular changes have been assumed to trigger malignant transformations and the epigenetic clock, and the DNA methylation age has been shown to be highly correlated with chronological age. However, the associations between the epigenetic clock and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) prognosis, other molecular characteristics, and clinicopathological features have not been systematically investigated. To this end, we computed the DNA methylation (DNAm) age of 252 CSCC patients and 200 normal samples from TCGA and three external cohorts by using the Horvath clock model. We characterized the differences in human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 expression, pathway activity, genomic alteration, and chemosensitivity between two DNAm age subgroups. We then used Cox proportional hazards regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis to assess the prognostic value of epigenetic acceleration.

RESULTS

DNAm age was significantly associated with chronological age, but it was differentiated between tumour and normal tissue (P < 0.001). Two DNAm age groups, i.e. DNAmAge-ACC and DNAmAge-DEC, were identified; the former had high expression of the E6/E7 oncoproteins of HPV16/18 (P < 0.05), an immunoactive phenotype (all FDRs < 0.05 in enrichment analysis), CpG island hypermethylation (P < 0.001), and lower mutation load (P = 0.011), including for TP53 (P = 0.002). When adjusted for chronological age and tumour stage, every 10-year increase in DNAm age was associated with a 12% decrease in fatality (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-0.99, P = 0.03); DNAmAge-ACC had a 41% lower mortality risk and 47% lower progression rate than DNAmAge-DEC and was more likely to benefit from chemotherapy. RCS revealed a positive non-linear association between DNAm age and both mortality and progression risk (both, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

DNAm age is an independent predictor of CSCC prognosis. Better prognosis, overexpression of HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins, and higher enrichment of immune signatures were observed in DNAmAge-ACC tumours.

Aberrantly enhanced melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A3 expression facilitates cervical cancer cell proliferation and metastasis via actuating Wnt signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

The over-expression of melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A3 in cervical cancer (CC) has been observed in our previous study, suggesting that it possibly take a vital role during the development and metastasis of CC. The present study aimed to investigate the biological function of MAGE-A3 in the progression of CC and explore how it executes its roles.

METHODS

The mRNA expression of MAGE-A3 in End1/E6E7 and CC cell lines (HeLa, SiHa and C33A) was measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Loss- and gain-of-function methods were used to assess the effect of MAGE-A3 on the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of HeLa and SiHa cells. Western blot was performed to measure the expression levels of proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway. In vivo tumorigenesis assay was conducted to evaluate the effect of MAGE-A3 on tumor growth.

RESULTS

MAGE-A3 expression was significantly up-regulated in CC cell lines (HeLa, SiHa and C33A) compared with that in End1/E6E7 cell line. Knockdown of MAGE-A3 could significantly suppress migration, invasion and proliferation in HeLa cells; whereas, overexpression of MAGE-A3 in SiHa cells presented the opposite results. Moreover, knockdown of MAGE-A3 presented a suppressive effect on the activation of EMT and Wnt signaling pathway in HeLa cells, whilst up-regulation of MAGE-A3 exhibited the opponent outcomes in SiHa cells. Through in vivo tumorigenesis assay, we further verified that MAGE-A3 acted as a facilitator in tumor growth.

CONCLUSIONS

MAGE-A3 is overexpressed in CC cells and possibly facilitates the viability and motility of CC cells via modulating EMT and Wnt signaling. This study implied that MAGE-A3 might be a potential therapeutic target as well as a prognosis predictor for patients with CC.

The long noncoding RNA PCGEM1 promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion via targeting the miR-182/FBXW11 axis in cervical cancer

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-associated death in women worldwide. Recently, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) prostate cancer gene expression marker 1 (PCGEM1) has been demonstrated to involve in the initiation and progression of human cancers. However, to date, the clinical and functional significance of PCGEM1 expression in CC progression remains unknown.

Methods

qRT-PCR was performed to investigate PCGEM1 expression levels in CC tissues and cell lines. The effect of PCGEM1 on CC cells was assessed by gain- and loss-of-function assays. MS2-binding sequences-MS2-binding protein-based RIP assay (MS2-RIP), RNA pull-down and Luciferase reporter assays were performed to investigate the interaction between PCGEM1 and miR-182. The association between miR-182 and F-box and WD repeat domain containing 11 (FBXW11) was verified by luciferase reporter assay. The effect of PCGEM1 on the NF-κB and β-catenin/TCF signaling pathways was determined by luciferase reporter assay.

Results

Our present study showed that PCGEM1 was significantly upregulated in CC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of PCGEM1 was correlated with advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, lymph node, distant metastasis and poor prognosis in CC patients. Functionally, PCGEM1 promoted cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration and invasion, while suppressed cell apoptosis in CC cells. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that PCGEM1 associated with miR-182 and suppressed its expression. PCGEM1 could act as a competing endogenous (ceRNA) of oncogene F-box and WD repeat domain containing 11 (FBXW11) for miR-182 in CC cells. Additionally, PCGEM1 was capable to activate the NF-κB and β-catenin/TCF signaling pathways, which was reversed by inhibition of FBXW11.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that PCGEM1-miR-182-FBXW11 axis play an important role in CC progression, and indicated a promising therapeutic target for CC patients.

OScc: an online survival analysis web server to evaluate the prognostic value of biomarkers in cervical cancer

Aim: To establish a web server that can mutually validate prognostic biomarkers of cervical cancer. Methods: Four datasets including expression profiling and relative clinical follow-up data were collected from Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas. The web server was developed by R software. Results: The web server was named OScc including 690 patients and can be accessed at http://bioinfo.henu.edu.cn/CESC/CESCList.jsp . The Kaplan–Meier survival curves with log-rank p-value and hazard ratio will be generated of interested gene in OScc. Compared with previous predictive tools, OScc had the advantages of registration-free, larger sample size and subgroup analysis. Conclusion: The OScc is highly valuable to perform the preliminary assessment and validation of new or interested prognostic biomarkers for cervical cancer.

Bacterial Manipulation of Wnt Signaling: A Host-Pathogen Tug-of-Wnt

The host-pathogen interface is a crucial battleground during bacterial infection in which host defenses are met with an array of bacterial counter-mechanisms whereby the invader aims to make the host environment more favorable to survival and dissemination. Interestingly, the eukaryotic Wnt signaling pathway has emerged as a key player in the host and pathogen tug-of-war. Although studied for decades as a regulator of embryogenesis, stem cell maintenance, bone formation, and organogenesis, Wnt signaling has recently been shown to control processes related to bacterial infection in the human host. Wnt signaling pathways contribute to cell cycle control, cytoskeleton reorganization during phagocytosis and cell migration, autophagy, apoptosis, and a number of inflammation-related events. Unsurprisingly, bacterial pathogens have evolved strategies to manipulate these Wnt-associated processes in order to enhance infection and survival within the human host. In this review, we examine the different ways human bacterial pathogens with distinct host cell tropisms and lifestyles exploit Wnt signaling for infection and address the potential of harnessing Wnt-related mechanisms to combat infectious disease.

miR-139-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer by targeting TCF4 and inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Objectives

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been recognized as a crucial biological event in the development of cervical cancer (CC). miR-139-5p was identified as a significant tumor suppressor in multiple human cancers, leaving its roles and mechanisms in CC absolutely unclear. We aimed to investigate the implication of miR-139-5p in CC progression.

Methods

miR-139-5p expression in 40 paired CC tissues and several cell lines was determined by qRT-PCR firstly. The implications of miR-139-5p in CC cell proliferation and migration were revealed by CCK-8, EdU and transwell assays, respectively. The mechanism underlying the tumor-suppressing roles of miR-139-5p in CC was investigated sequentially by dual luciferase, qRT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. The expression of transcription factor 4 (TCF4), the validated target of miR-139-5p from our experiments, was finally detected by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in CC tissues, and its expression correlates with miR-139-5p was explored.

Results

We found that miR-139-5p expression was frequently decreased in CC tissues and cell lines, and its lower level was associated with positive lymph node metastasis. Cellular assays proved the significant tumor-suppressing roles of miR-139-5p by inhibiting CC cell proliferation and migration, and markedly blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Since bioinformatics analysis indicated TCF4 as a novel target of miR-139-5p, our mechanistic studies validated this, and confirmed that TCF4 restoration could attenuate the tumor inhibitory activities of miR-139-5p in CC progression, and recover the normal Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Conclusion

Our data collectively demonstrated that miR-139-5p was a vital tumor suppressor in CC pathogenesis via targeting TCF4 thereby inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The miR-139-5p/TCF4 axis may serve as a promising target for CC therapy.

Gefitinib suppresses cervical cancer progression by inhibiting cell cycle progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common malignant cancer among women. Gefitinib was one of the first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors in clinical trials. However, the underlying mechanism of gefitinib in regulating CC progression remains unknown. In the current study, two CC cell lines, HeLa and Siha, were used to investigate the effects of gefitinib. Cell counting kit-8 assays demonstrated that treatment with gefitinib exerted strong cytotoxicity in HeLa and Siha cells. Flow cytometry was used to examine cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Treatment with gefitinib enhanced the number of cells in the G₀/G₁ phase and increased apoptosis in HeLa and Siha cells. Furthermore, treatment with gefitinib decreased the protein expression level of Bcl-2 and increased the protein expression level of Bax. Taken together, these results suggest that gefitinib may suppress CC cell proliferation and induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The current study also demonstrated that treatment with gefitinib suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as the expression level of the epithelial marker, E-cadherin was increased, while the expression level of the mesenchymal marker, vimentin was decreased. The current study demonstrated that treatment with gefitinib decreased the protein expression levels of phosphorylated-GSK3β and β-catenin, which suggests that gefitinib may be a potential novel therapeutic strategy in CC by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and EMT to inhibit tumor metastasis in CC cells. In conclusion, gefitinib may suppress the EMT process during cell invasion and induce cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Association of C8orf4 expression with its methylation status, aberrant β-catenin expression, and the development of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Chromosome 8 open reading frame 4 (C8orf4) is an activator of Wnt signaling pathway, and participates in the tumorigenesis and progression of many tumors. The expression levels of C8orf4 and β-catenin were assessed via immunohistochemical staining in 100 cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) tissues, 50 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), 50 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), and 50 normal cervical tissues. Bisulfite sequencing polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to examine the methylation status of the C8orf4 locus in CSCC and normal cervical tissues. The expression rates of C8orf4 and β-catenin were significantly higher in CSCCs or HSILs than in LSILs or normal cervical tissues (P < .05). C8orf4 expression was positively correlated with the poor differentiation of CSCCs (P = .009), and with aberrant expression of β-catenin in CSCCs (P = .002) and squamous intraepithelial lesions (P < .001). The methylation rate of C8orf4 in CSCCs was significantly lower than that in normal cervical tissues (P = .001). The Cancer Genome Atlas genomics data also confirmed that the mRNA expression of C8orf4 was positively associated with the copy number alteration of C8orf4 (correlation coefficient = 0.213, P < .001), and negatively correlated with the methylation level of C8orf4 (correlation coefficient = -0.408, P < .001). In conclusion, the expressions of C8orf4 and β-catenin were synergistically increased in CSCCs and HSILs and higher than those in LSILs and normal cervical tissues. The methylation level of C8orf4 is decreased in CSCCs and is responsible for the increased expression of C8orf4.

Pseudolaric acid B inhibits PAX2 expression through Wnt signaling and induces BAX expression, therefore promoting apoptosis in HeLa cervical cancer cells

Objectives

Pseudolaric acid B (PAB) has been shown to inhibit the growth of various tumor cells, but the molecular details of its function are still unknown. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms by which PAB induces apoptosis in HeLa cells.

Methods

The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were performed to investigate the effect of PAB treatment in various cervical cancer cell lines. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining combined with flow cytometry and Hoechst 33258 staining were used to assess PAB-induced apoptosis. Additionally, we performed bioinformatics analyses and identified a paired box 2 (PAX2) binding site on the BAX promoter. We then validated the binding using luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Finally, western blotting assays were used to investigate PAB effect on the Wnt signaling and the involved signaling molecules.

Results

PAB promotes apoptosis and downregulates PAX2 expression in HeLa cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. PAX2 binds to the promoter of BAX and inhibits its expression; therefore, PAX2 inhibition is associated with increased levels of BAX, which induces apoptosis of HeLa cells via the mitochondrial pathway. Additionally, PAB inhibits classical Wnt signaling.

Conclusion

PAB effectively inhibits Wnt signaling and PAX2 expression, and increases BAX levels, which induce apoptosis in HeLa cells. Therefore, PAB is a promising natural molecule for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Proteomics analysis of proteins interacting with heat shock factor 1 in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix

Protein interactions are crucial for maintaining homeostasis. Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), a transcription factor that interacts with various proteins, is highly expressed in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protein interaction profile of HSF1 in cervical SCC. Proteins interacting with HSF1 in SCC tissue and non-cancerous control (Ctrl) tissue were obtained by immunoprecipitation, separated by SDS-PAGE, identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and analyzed using bioinformatics methods. A total of 220 and 241 proteins were identified by mass spectrometry in the tissues of Ctrl and SCC samples, respectively, among which 172 were detected exclusively in SCC (Pro-S), 151 exclusively in Ctrl (Pro-C) and 69 in both groups (Pro-B). The protein interaction profiles were different in each group; the STRING database identified three proteins that interacted with HSF1 directly, including insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor and small nuclear RNA-activating protein complex subunit 4 in Pro-C and small ubiquitin-related modifier 1 in Pro-S. Functional enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology revealed that the top terms were alternative splicing in Pro-S and polymorphism in Pro-C. In Pro-S, more categories were related to protein modification, such as phosphorylation, ubiquitination and acetylation. Therefore, HSF1 may influence the occurrence and development of cervical SCC by interacting with specific proteins.

MicroRNA-758 inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting HMGB3 through the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway

Cervical cancer (CC) remains a highly prevalent cancer and cause of mortality amongst women worldwide. miR-758 has been demonstrated to be associated with tumorigenesis by controlling the expression of oncogenic or tumor suppressor genes. However, the function and mechanisms of miR-758 in CC have not been well illustrated. The present study aimed to dissect the effect of miR-758 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of CC cells and determine the potential underlying molecular mechanism of these effects. qPCR results revealed that the expression of miR-758 was significantly decreased in CC tissues and cell lines compared with that in normal tissues and normal cells. Results of CCK-8, colony formation and Transwell assays revealed that miR-758 overexpression markedly decreased cell viability, proliferation, invasion and migration. However, miR-758 inhibitors significantly increased viability, proliferation, invasion and migration. In the mechanism study, we demonstrated that high mobility group box 3 (HMGB3) was a direct target of miR-758, and HMGB3 overexpression rescued the viability, proliferation, invasion and migration of HeLa cells reduced by an miR-758 mimic. It was demonstrated that HMGB3 regulated the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway under miR-758 regulation. In summary, these observations suggested that miR-758 is a tumor suppressor gene that can inhibit the metastatic phenotype of CC cells by negatively regulating HMGB3, which may present a path to novel therapeutic stratagems for CC therapy.

Exogenous regucalcin negatively regulates the progression of cervical adenocarcinoma

Cervical adenocarcinoma (CA) is a type of cervical cancer, and in previous decades its incidence has steadily increased. The upregulation of regucalcin (RGN) in various tumor cell types inhibits the progression of cancer. To understand the role of RGN in CA, RGN expression in human cervical cancer compared with normal tissues was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). Subsequently, transfection of lentivirus-mediated RGN into HeLa cells was conducted to study its function in tumor proliferation and metastasis. The expression of RGN and proteins associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated using Transwell assays. Furthermore, cell proliferation, colony formation and cell cycle were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Lentivirus-mediated RGN effectively upregulated RGN expression, inhibited cell proliferation, retarded cellular invasion and promoted cell cycle arrest at the G₂/M phase in HeLa cells. In addition, the expression levels of β-catenin, p-glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-7 and MMP-9 were effectively decreased, whilst those of E-cadherin and GSK-3β were increased. The results suggest that RGN may be an inhibitory factor in tumorigenesis, and its mechanism of inhibiting tumor proliferation and metastasis may be associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling and EMT.

Immune Signature-Based Subtypes of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma Tightly Associated with Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Expression, Molecular Features, and Clinical Outcome

Substantial heterogeneity exists within cervical cancer that is generally infected by human papillomavirus (HPV). However, the most common histological subtype of cervical cancer, cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), is poorly characterized regarding the association between its heterogeneity and HPV oncoprotein expression. We filtered out 138 CSCC samples with infection of HPV16 only as the first step; then we compressed HPV16 E6/E7 expression as HPV_pca and correlated HPV_pca with the immunological profiling of CSCC based on supervised clustering to discover subtypes and to characterize the differences between subgroups in terms of the HPV_pca level, pathway activity, epigenetic dysregulation, somatic mutation frequencies, and likelihood of responding to chemo/immunotherapies. Supervised clustering of immune signatures revealed two HPV16 subtypes (namely, HPV16-IMM and HPV16-KRT) that correlated with HPV_pca and clinical outcomes. HPV16-KRT is characterized by elevated expression of genes in keratinization, biological oxidation, and Wnt signaling, whereas HPV16-IMM has a strong immune response and mesenchymal features. HPV16-IMM exhibited much more epigenetic silencing and significant mutation at FBXW7, while MUC4 and PIK3CA were mutated frequently for HPV16-KRT. We also imputed that HPV16-IMM is much more sensitive to chemo/immunotherapy than is HPV16-KRT. Our characterization tightly links the expression of HPV16 E6/E7 with biological and clinical outcomes of CSCC, providing valuable molecular-level information that points to decoding heterogeneity. Together, these results shed light on stratifications of CSCC infected by HPV16 and shall help to guide personalized management and treatment of patients.

SKA3 promotes cell proliferation and migration in cervical cancer by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common cancers among females worldwide. Spindle and kinetochore-associated complex subunit 3 (SKA3), located on chromosome 13q, was identified as a novel gene involved in promoting malignant transformation in cancers. However, the function and underlying mechanisms of SKA3 in CC remain unknown. Using the Oncomine database, we found that expression of SKA3 mRNA is higher in CC tissues than in normal tissues and is linked with poor prognosis.

Methods

In our study, immunohistochemistry showed increased expression of SKA3 in CC tissues. The effect of SKA3 on cell proliferation and migration was evaluated by CCK8, clone formation, Transwell and wound-healing assays in HeLa and SiHa cells with stable SKA3 overexpression and knockdown. In addition, we established a xenograft tumor model in vivo.

Results

SKA3 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and migration and accelerated tumor growth. We further identified that SKA3 is involved in regulating cell cycle progression and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway via RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) and gene set enrichment analyses. Western blotting results revealed that SKA3 overexpression increased levels of p-Akt, cyclin E2, CDK2, cyclin D1, CDK4, E2F1 and p-Rb in HeLa cells. Additionally, the use of an Akt inhibitor (GSK690693) significantly reversed the cell proliferation capacity induced by SKA3 overexpression in HeLa cells.

Conclusions

We suggest that SKA3 overexpression contributes to CC cell growth and migration by promoting cell cycle progression and activating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which may provide potential novel therapeutic targets for CC treatment.

Role of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene mutations in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer; current status and perspectives

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common forms of solid tumors in the world with high rates of mortality and morbidity. Most cases of CRCs are initiated by inactivating mutations in a tumor suppressor gene, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), leading to constitutive activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. This review summarizes the roles of somatic and germline mutations of the APC gene in hereditary as well as sporadic forms of CRC. We also discuss the diagnostic and prognostic value of the APC gene in the pathogenesis of CRC for a better understanding of CRC disease.

Long noncoding RNA HOTAIR knockdown inhibits autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition through the Wnt signaling pathway in radioresistant human cervical cancer HeLa cells

Cervical cancer is one of the most common female malignancies around the world, and radiation resistance is a major obstacle to cancer therapy. Previously, overexpression of the long noncoding ribonucleic acid (RNA) (lncRNA) HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) has been found to be associated with the invasion and metastasis capacities of several epithelial cancers, including cervical cancer. To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of HOTAIR in cervical cancer resistance to radiotherapy, we investigated cellular autophagy and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in radioresistant human cervical cancer HeLa cells when HOTAIR was suppressed. HOTAIR levels were quantified in cancerous and noncancerous cervical tissues obtained from 108 patients with cervical cancer. Next, we inhibited HOTAIR by RNA interference and activated the Wnt signaling pathway by LiCl in radioresistant HeLa cells to investigate the regulatory mechanisms for the HOTAIR mediating Wnt signaling pathway. We determined that the upregulated HOTAIR may contribute to cervical cancer progression. We found that the short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of HOTAIR disturbed the Wnt signaling pathway, reduced autophagy, inhibited EMT, decreased cell proliferation, and induced apoptosis in radioresistant HeLa cells. It is worthy to note that the combination treatment of siRNA-HOTAIR and LiCl demonstrated that the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway is responsible for the beneficial effect of HOTAIR knockdown in enhancing sensitivity to radiotherapy in radioresistant HeLa cells. Together, our results revealed an important role of HOTAIR in regulating cervical cancer resistance to radiotherapy. Functional suppression of HOTAIR could enhance sensitivity to radiotherapy by reduction of autophagy and reversal of EMT through the suppression of the Wnt signaling pathway.

FEZF1 is an Independent Predictive Factor for Recurrence and Promotes Cell Proliferation and Migration in Cervical Cancer

The Fez family zinc finger protein 1 (FEZF1), a critical transcription factor in nervous system development, has been implicated in cancer progression recently. However, its clinical significance remains unknown. By analyzing gene expression data of eight most common cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we found that FEZF1 prominently associated with the recurrence-free survival of cervical cancer patients (P<0.001) and was an independent diagnostic factor for cervical cancer recurrence (P=0.002). Moreover, FEZF1 expression was significantly higher in the tumor samples from cervical cancer patients with relapse in TCGA(P=0.015). By RNA interference, we knocked down FEZF1 and found that cell proliferation, growth and migration were significantly decreased in C33A and SiHa cells. Meanwhile, FEZF1 knockdown also attenuated the growth of C33A cells in nude mice. In contrast, expression of FEZF1 promoted cell proliferation, growth and migration in HeLa cells. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we revealed that FEZF1 could bind to multiple key genes in the Wnt signaling pathway in HeLa cells. Furthermore, analysis of the levels of β-catenin protein, the core component of the Wnt pathway, and downstream effector genes of the pathway showed that FEZF1 could activate the Wnt pathway. Together, these results suggest that FEZF1 promotes cell proliferation and migration possibly by acting as a transcriptional activator of the Wnt signaling pathway in cervical cancer, and also provide a valuable molecular predictive marker for cervical cancer recurrence.

Knockdown of PKM2 suppresses tumor progression in human cervical cancer by modulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Background

Pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2) is a key glycolytic enzyme and is upregulated in multiple human malignancies. However, the role of PKM2 in human cervical cancer (CC) remains elusive. Thus, this study explored the role of PKM2 in CC by detecting its expression patterns in human CC tissues and cell lines and investigated its effects on cell proliferation and invasion.

Materials and methods

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and western blotting assays were used to detect the expression of PKM2 in CC tissues and CC cells. In vitro, we overexpressed and knocked down PKM2 expression in CC cell lines and investigated the biological function and underlying mechanism of PKM2 in cervical carcinogenesis.

Results

The results showed that PKM2 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in CC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, increasing PKM2 expression was closely correlated with the clinical stage (P=0.001) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.023). The functional roles of PKM2 were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, and transwell assays. The results showed that PKM2 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and the migratory and invasive capacities of CC cells, suppressed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling in vitro. However, overexpression of PKM2 led to increased proliferation and invasion activity as well as the EMT in CC cells.

Conclusion

Taken together, our study results revealed that PKM2 may act as a molecular target for CC treatment.