siRNA-mediated NCAM1 gene silencing suppresses oxidative stress in pre-eclampsia by inhibiting the p38MAPK signaling pathway

HLA-G neo-expression modifies genetic programs governing tumor cell lines

The development of immunotherapies has proved to be clinically encouraging to re-establish the immune function modified by the expression of immune inhibitory molecules in tumors. However, there are still patients with poor survival rates following treatment. The elucidation of molecular mechanisms triggered by the neo-expression of particular IC in tumors would constitute a major step toward better understanding tumor evolution and would help to design future clinical protocols. To this end, we investigate the modifications triggered by the neo-expression of the immune checkpoints HLA-G in ccRCC tumor cells. We demonstrate, for the first time, that HLA-G modifies key genes implicated mainly in tumor development, angiogenesis, calcium flow and mitochondria dynamics. The involvement of HLA-G on the expression of genes belonging to these pathways such as ADAM-12, NCAM1 and NRP1 was confirmed by the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated edition of HLA-G. The data reveal multifaceted roles of HLA-G in tumor cells which are far beyond the well-known function of HLA-G in the immune anti-tumor response. This warrants further investigation of HLA-G and these new partners in tumors of different origin so as to propose future new treatments to improve health patient's outcome.

Unveiling the Network regulatory mechanism of ncRNAs on the Ferroptosis Pathway: Implications for Preeclampsia

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are transcripts originating from the genome that do not serve as templates for protein synthesis. They function as epigenetic and translational regulators in various pathophysiological mechanisms, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. The ferroptosis signaling pathway, a novel mode of cell death, participates in numerous pathophysiological processes. Its signaling transmission is both complex and precise, featuring interconnected and interdependent pathways. Recent studies suggest that ncRNAs can finely regulate key genes in the ferroptosis pathway, thus modulating cellular functions, reducing oxidative stress, and maintaining maternal-fetal interface homeostasis. Future strategies targeting the ncRNA/ferroptosis axis may provide new perspectives and potential intervention points for treating preeclampsia. This article clarifies how the ncRNA/ferroptosis axis impacts preeclampsia, revealing how ncRNAs interact with ferroptosis, and pinpointing new molecular targets for the treatment of preeclampsia, thereby providing theoretical support for clinical strategies.

Expression and significance of cathepsin C and cathepsin D during pregnancy and Preeclampsia

BACKGROUND

Cathepsin C (Cat C) is involved in the inflammatory-immune system and can be degraded by cathepsin D (Cat D). Preeclampsia (PE) and the inflammation-immunity relationship is currently a hot research topic, but there are still few studies. The aim was to investigate the expression and significance of Cat C and D in the serum of nonpregnant women, patients in various stages of pregnancy and patients with PE, and in the placenta of patients with normal pregnancy and PE.

METHODS

Sixty young healthy nonpregnant women were selected: 180 normal pregnant women, including 60 each in the first, second, and third trimesters, and 100 women with PE, including 39 women with severe preeclampsia. The levels of Cat C and D in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression levels of Cat C and D in placentas were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

RESULTS

The serum of Cat C in the first trimester was significantly lower than that in the nonpregnant group (P < 0.001), whereas Cat D was significantly higher than that in the nonpregnant group (P < 0.01). The levels of Cat C and D in the second trimester and third trimester were significantly higher than those in the first trimester (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in Cat C and D between the second trimester and third trimester. The levels of Cat C in the serum and placentas of patients with PE were significantly higher than those in the third trimester (P < 0.001) and positively correlated with the severity of PE (P < 0.001), whereas the levels of Cat D in the serum and placentas of patients with PE were significantly lower than those in the third trimester (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the severity of PE (P < 0.001). Age, primigravida proportion, and body mass index were significantly higher in the PE group than in the control group (P < 0.05), which were high-risk factors for PE.

CONCLUSIONS

Cat C and D are associated with the maintenance of normal pregnancy. In patients with preeclampsia, a significant increase in Cat C and a significant decrease in Cat D levels may lead to the occurrence and development of preeclampsia.

Hub Gene Screening and Prognostic Modeling of Lung Cancer: An Integrated Bioinformatics Study

Background

One of the most frequent malignancies is lung carcinoma which poses heavy burden on the global health. The link among differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lung cancer patients' clinical outcomes was still missing. In this study, we integrated transcriptome data with clinical data to investigate the relationship between them in lung carcinoma patients.

Methods

To begin, DEGs were identified using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) gene expression pattern (GSE180347). Then, these DEGs are being searched in the TCGA database using the DEGs collected in the preceding phase. The Kaplan-Meier plotter was then used to assess the predictive value of these DEGs in patients with lung cancer.

Results

Our study revealed a total of 45 DEGs, 15 of which were up-regulated and 30 of which were down-regulated. These DEGs were mostly enriched in cytokine receptor binding and cytokine activity, according to GO enrichment analysis. These DEGs were mostly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, according to KEGG enrichment analysis. Based on the PPI network, which comprises of 12 DEGs, a major module was discovered. They are mostly interested in cytotoxicity mediated by natural killer cells. Among all 45 DEGs, the mutations of NCAM1 account for the most cases in TCGA database with a percentage above 15%. Among the 12 DEGs in the significant module, higher expression of FAS, GPR29, HAVCR2, and NCAM1 exhibits longer survival time with hazard ratio and 95% confident interval of 0.79 (0.69-0.89), 0.80 (0.70-0.90), 0.71 (0.60-0.84), and 0.73 (0.62-0.86), respectively. However, higher expression of FCGR3A and IFNG exhibits shorter survival time with hazard ratio and 95% confident interval of 1.50 (1.32-1.71) and 1.15 (1.02-1.31), respectively.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate significant correlation between some DEGs and the survival outcome in lung adenocarcinomas patients, providing a comprehensive bioinformatics study in anticipation of future molecular mechanisms and biomarker studies.

Serum Proteomic Analysis by Tandem Mass Tag-Based Quantitative Proteomics in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a frequent respiratory disorder with an estimated prevalence of 3–6% in the general population. However, the underlying pathophysiology of OSA remains unclear. Recently, proteomic analysis using high-resolution and high-throughput mass spectrometry has been widely used in the field of medical sciences. In the present study, tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomic analysis was performed in the serum of patients with OSA. The proteomic analysis revealed a set of differentially expressed proteins that may be associated with the pathophysiology of OSA. The differentially expressed proteins in patients with OSA were enriched in pathways including phagosome and glycan synthesis/degradation, immune response, and the hedgehog signaling pathway, indicating that such functions are key targets of OSA. Moreover, the experimental validation studies revealed that four proteins including ANTXR1, COLEC10, NCAM1, and VNN1 were reduced in the serum from patients with moderate and severe OSA, while MAN1A1 and CSPG4 protein levels were elevated in the serum from patients with severe OSA. The protein levels of ANTXR1, COLEC10, NCAM1, and VNN1 were inversely correlated with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in the recruited subjects, while the protein level of MAN1A1 was positively correlated with AHI, and no significant correlation was detected between CSPG4 protein and AHI. In summary, the present study for the first time identified differentially expressed proteins in the serum from OSA patients with different severities by using TMT-based proteomic analysis. The functional enrichment studies suggested that several signaling pathways may be associated with the pathophysiology of OSA. The experimental validation results indicated that six proteins including ANTXR1, COLEC10, NCAM1, VNN1, CGPG4, and MAN1A1 may play important roles in the pathophysiology of OSA, which requires further mechanistic investigation.

Downregulation of cathepsin C alleviates endothelial cell dysfunction by suppressing p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway in preeclampsia

Endothelial cell dysfunction is an essential pathophysiological feature of preeclampsia (PE). It has been reported that cathepsin C is upregulated in the maternal vascular endothelium of PE patients. The excessive activation of p38 MAPK leads to various diseases, including PE. NF-κB pathway can promote uteroplacental dysfunction, endothelial stress and development of PE. Moreover, it has been verified that cathepsin C can activate p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway. In the present work, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury model of HUVECs was established to discuss the biological functions of cathepsin C in endothelial cell dysfunction and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. The correlation between cathepsin C and p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway in H/R-stimulated HUVECs as well as the effects of cathepsin C and p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway on viability, apoptosis, invasion, in vitro angiogenesis of HUVECs and oxidative stress were assessed. The results revealed that H/R injury elevated cathepsin C expression and activated p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway in HUVECs and cathepsin C knockdown inhibited the activity of p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway in H/R-stimulated HUVECs. Downregulation of cathepsin C improved viability, inhibited apoptosis and enhanced invasion of H/R-stimulated HUVECs. In addition, downregulation of cathepsin C alleviated oxidative stress and induced stronger HUVEC angiogenesis in vitro. Furthermore, the protective effects of cathepsin C knockdown against endothelial cell dysfunction were reversed by p38 MAPK activator anisomycin. In other words, downregulation of cathepsin C could improve HUVEC viability and enhance anti-apoptotic capacity, anti-oxidative capability, invasive ability, as well as angiogenic potential of H/R-stimulated HUVECs by repressing p38 MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Downregulation of microRNA-324-3p inhibits lung cancer by blocking the NCAM1-MAPK axis through ALX4

Lung cancer remains the principal cause of cancer-related death worldwide. As microRNAs (miRNAs) are critically involved in lung cancer, we investigated the potential role of miR-324-3p in lung cancer via the ALX4/NCAM1/MAPK axis. The expression of miR-324-3p and ALX4 was detected in clinical samples, and their interaction confirmed by miRNA-targeted luciferase reporter assay. The mechanisms involved in the miR-324-3p-ALX4 interaction in lung cancer cell biological processes were analyzed through gain- and loss-of function approaches. In addition, cultured lung cancer cells were treated with the p38MAPK pathway activator P79350 in order to explore the role of this pathway in the abovementioned axis. Further, a tumor xenograft model in nude mice was constructed to confirm the in vitro findings. miR-324-3p was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues and cells, and inhibited the expression of ALX4 in A549 cells. After confirming the targeted inhibition of ALX4 by miR-324-3p, we showed that this interaction upregulated the expression of NCAM1 and activated the MAPK pathway. The inhibition of miR-324-3p could suppress lung cancer cell invasion, migration, and autophagy, and retarded the growth of subcutaneous tumors in nude mice. Downregulation of ALX4 or NCAM1 overexpression reversed these favorable effects of decreased miR-324-3p. Our study demonstrated the promotive effect of miR-324-3p on the development and progression of lung cancer, thus suggesting a new target for treatment of this devastating disease.

Serum proteins differentially expressed in early- and late-onset preeclampsia assessed using iTRAQ proteomics and bioinformatics analyses

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia remains a serious disorder that puts at risk the lives of perinatal mothers and infants worldwide. This study assessed potential pathogenic mechanisms underlying preeclampsia by investigating differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the serum of patients with early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE) and late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) compared with healthy pregnant women.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from four women with EOPE, four women with LOPE, and eight women with normal pregnancies, with four women providing control samples for each preeclampsia group. Serum proteins were identified by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Serum proteins with differences in their levels compared with control groups of at least 1.2 fold-changes and that were also statistically significantly different between the groups at P < 0.05 were further analyzed. Bioinformatics analyses, including gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes signaling pathway analyses, were used to determine the key proteins and signaling pathways associated with the development of PE and to determine those DEPs that differed between women with EOPE and those with LOPE. Key protein identified by mass spectrometry was verified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Compared with serum samples from healthy pregnant women, those from women with EOPE displayed 70 proteins that were differentially expressed with significance. Among them, 51 proteins were significantly upregulated and 19 proteins were significantly downregulated. In serum samples from women with LOPE, 24 DEPs were identified , with 10 proteins significantly upregulated and 14 proteins significantly downregulated compared with healthy pregnant women. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that DEPs in both the EOPE and LOPE groups were associated with abnormalities in the activation of the coagulation cascade and complement system as well as with lipid metabolism. In addition, 19 DEPs in the EOPE group were closely related to placental development or invasion of tumor cells. Downregulationof pregnancy-specific beta-1-glycoprotein 9 (PSG9) in the LOPE group was confirmed by ELISA.

CONCLUSION

The pathogenesis of EOPE and LOPE appeared to be associated with coagulation cascade activation, lipid metabolism, and complement activation. However, the pathogenesis of EOPE also involved processes associated with greater placental injury. This study provided several new proteins in the serum which may be valuable for clinical diagnosis of EOPE and LOPE, and offered potential mechanisms underpinning the development of these disorders.