TMEM158 promotes pancreatic cancer aggressiveness by activation of TGFβ1 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Fundamental insights and molecular interactions in pancreatic cancer: Pathways to therapeutic approaches

The gastrointestinal tract can be affected by a number of diseases that pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignant manifestation of them. The prognosis of PC patients is unfavorable and because of their diagnosis at advanced stage, the treatment of this tumor is problematic. Owing to low survival rate, there is much interest towards understanding the molecular profile of PC in an attempt in developing more effective therapeutics. The conventional therapeutics for PC include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as emerging immunotherapy. However, PC is still incurable and more effort should be performed. The molecular landscape of PC is an underlying factor involved in increase in progression of tumor cells. In the presence review, the newest advances in understanding the molecular and biological events in PC are discussed. The dysregulation of molecular pathways including AMPK, MAPK, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and non-coding RNA transcripts has been suggested as a factor in development of tumorigenesis in PC. Moreover, cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis and necroptosis demonstrate abnormal levels. The EMT and glycolysis in PC cells enhance to ensure their metastasis and proliferation. Furthermore, such abnormal changes have been used to develop corresponding pharmacological and nanotechnological therapeutics for PC.

TMEM158 functions as an oncogene and promotes lung adenocarcinoma progression through the PI3K/AKT pathway via interaction with TWIST1

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common and deadly form of lung cancer, with high rates of metastasis and unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Herein, we examined the influence of TMEM158 on the LUAD progression. A combination of bioinformatic analyses was used to assess the TMEM158 expression pattern, prognostic implications, and potential function in LUAD. The levels of TMEM158 and TWIST1 were evaluated in clinical samples from LUAD patients using Western blot analysis and qRT-PCR. To discover the function and underlying molecular pathways of TMEM158 in LUAD, we employed a combination of experimental approaches in vitro, such as flow cytometry analysis and colony formation, Co-IP, CCK-8, Transwell, and wound-healing assays. Elevated expression of TMEM158 in LUAD is associated with increased cancer aggressiveness and a poor prognosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that high levels of TMEM158 promote cell proliferation, progression through the cell cycle, migration, and invasion while suppressing apoptosis. Knockdown of TMEM158 produced opposite effects. The underlying mechanism involves TMEM158 and TWIST1 directly interacting, stimulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in LUAD cells. This investigation emphasizes the molecular functions of TMEM158 in LUAD progression and proposes targeting it as a promising treatment approach for managing LUAD.

Oncogenic transmembrane protein 158 drives the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to accelerate gastric cancer cell growth

Gastric cancer (GC) is a serious threat to human health and an important cause of cancer-related death. Herein, we evaluated the influence of transmembrane protein 158 (TMEM158) on GC cell growth. According to Genomic Spatial Event (GSE) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, TMEM158 content is amplified in GC tissues. The diagnostic value of TMEM158 expression in GC is huge. GC sufferers with high expression of TMEM158 were associated with poor overall survival. In addition, TMEM158 content was increased in GC cells. TMEM158 promoted GC cell proliferation by modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Lack of TMEM158 reduced GC tumor growth. Collectively, TMEM158 accelerated GC cell proliferation by modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, making it a prospective biomarker for survival in GC patients.

The transmembrane proteins (TMEM) and their role in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer

Transmembrane proteins (TMEM) are located in the different biological membranes of the cell and have at least one passage through these cellular compartments. TMEM proteins carry out a wide variety of functions necessary to maintain cell homeostasis TMEM165 participates in glycosylation protein, TMEM88 in the development of cardiomyocytes, TMEM45A in epidermal keratinization, and TMEM74 regulating autophagy. However, for many TMEM proteins, their physiological function remains unknown. The role of these proteins is being recently investigated in cancer since transcriptomic and proteomic studies have revealed that exits differential expression of TMEM proteins in different neoplasms concerning cancer-free tissues. Among the cellular processes in which TMEM proteins have been involved in cancer are the promotion or suppression of cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, migration, intravasation/extravasation, metastasis, modulation of the immune response, and response to antineoplastic drugs. Inclusive data suggests that the participation of TMEM proteins in these cellular events could be carried out through involvement in different cell signaling pathways. However, the exact mechanisms not clear. This review shows a description of the involvement of TMEM proteins that promote or decrease cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in cancer cells, describes those TMEM proteins for which both a tumor suppressor and a tumor promoter role have been identified, depending on the type of cancer in which the protein is expressed. As well as some TMEM proteins involved in chemoresistance. A better characterization of these proteins is required to improve the understanding of the tumors in which their expression and function are altered; in addition to improving the understanding of the role of these proteins in cancer will show those TMEM proteins be potential candidates as biomarkers of response to chemotherapy or prognostic biomarkers or as potential therapeutic targets in cancer.

Differential analysis of core-fucosylated glycoproteomics enabled by single-step truncation of N-glycans

Alpha-1,6 fucosylation of N-glycans (core fucosylation, CF) represents a unique form of N-glycans and is widely involved in disease progression. In order to accurately identify CF glycoproteins, several approaches have been developed based on sequential cleavage with different glycosidases to truncate the N-glycans. Since multi-step sample treatments may introduce quantitation bias and affect the practicality of these approaches in large-scale applications. Here, we systematically evaluated the performance of the single-step treatment of intact glycopeptides by endoglycosidase F3 for CF glycoproteome. The single-step truncation (SST) strategy demonstrated higher quantitative stability and higher efficiency compared with previous approaches. The strategy was further practiced on both cell lines and serum samples. The dysregulation of CF glycopeptides between preoperative and postoperative serum from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was revealed, and the CF modifications of BCHE_N369, CDH5_N112 and SERPIND1_N49 were found to be potential prognostic markers. This study thus provides an efficient solution for large-scale quantitative analysis of the CF glycoproteome.

Short-term exposure to ethanol induces transcriptional changes in nontumorigenic breast cells

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Many genetic and behavioral risk factors can contribute to the initiation and progression of breast cancer, one being alcohol consumption. Numerous epidemiological studies have established a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer; however, the molecular basis for this link remains ill defined. Elucidating ethanol-induced changes to global transcriptional programming in breast cells is important to ultimately understand how alcohol and breast cancer are connected mechanistically. We investigated induced transcriptional changes in response to a short cellular exposure to moderate levels of alcohol. We treated the nontumorigenic breast cell line MCF10A and the tumorigenic breast cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF7, with ethanol for 6 h, and then captured the changes to ongoing transcription using 4-thiouridine metabolic labeling followed by deep sequencing. Only the MCF10A cell line exhibited statistically significant changes in newly transcribed RNA in response to ethanol treatment. Further experiments revealed that some ethanol-upregulated genes are sensitive to the dose of alcohol treatment, while others are not. Gene Ontology and biochemical pathway analyses revealed that ethanol-upregulated genes in MCF10A cells are enriched in biological functions that could contribute to cancer development.

Prospective of Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis Using Cardiac Sensing

Pancreatic carcinoma (Ca Pancreas) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The malignancies of the pancreas can be diagnosed with the help of various imaging modalities. An endoscopic ultrasound with a tissue biopsy is so far considered to be the gold standard in terms of the detection of Ca Pancreas, especially for lesions <2 mm. However, other methods, like computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are also conventionally used. Moreover, newer techniques, like proteomics, radiomics, metabolomics, and artificial intelligence (AI), are slowly being introduced for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. Regardless, it is still a challenge to diagnose pancreatic carcinoma non-invasively at an early stage due to its delayed presentation. Similarly, this also makes it difficult to demonstrate an association between Ca Pancreas and other vital organs of the body, such as the heart. A number of studies have proven a correlation between the heart and pancreatic cancer. The tumor of the pancreas affects the heart at the physiological, as well as the molecular, level. An overexpression of the SMAD4 gene; a disruption in biomolecules, such as IGF, MAPK, and ApoE; and increased CA19-9 markers are a few of the many factors that are noted to affect cardiovascular systems with pancreatic malignancies. A comprehensive review of this correlation will aid researchers in conducting studies to help establish a definite relation between the two organs and discover ways to use it for the early detection of Ca Pancreas.

Identification of m7G-Related LncRNA Signature for Predicting Prognosis and Evaluating Tumor Immune Infiltration in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

N7-Methylguanosine (m7G) modification holds significant importance in regulating posttranscriptional gene expression in epigenetics. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in cancer progression. m7G-related lncRNA may be involved in the progression of pancreatic cancer (PC), although the underlying mechanism of regulation remains obscure. We obtained RNA sequence transcriptome data and relevant clinical information from the TCGA and GTEx databases. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional risk analyses were performed to build a twelve-m7G-associated lncRNA risk model with prognostic value. The model was verified using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis. The expression level of m7G-related lncRNAs in vitro was validated. Knockdown of SNHG8 increased the proliferation and migration of PC cells. Differentially expressed genes between high- and low-risk groups were identified for gene set enrichment analysis, immune infiltration, and potential drug exploration. We conducted an m7G-related lncRNA predictive risk model for PC patients. The model had independent prognostic significance and offered an exact survival prediction. The research provided us with better knowledge of the regulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in PC. The m7G-related lncRNA risk model may serve as a precise prognostic tool and indicate prospective therapeutic targets for PC patients.

Illustrating the biological functions and diagnostic value of transmembrane protein family members in glioma

Background

It is well-established that patients with glioma have a poor prognosis. Although the past few decades have witnessed unprecedented medical advances, the 5-year survival remains dismally low.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the role of transmembrane protein-related genes in the development and prognosis of glioma and provide new insights into the pathogenesis of the disease

Methods

The datasets of glioma patients, including RNA sequencing data and relative clinical information, were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Prognostic transmembrane protein-related genes were identified by univariate Cox analysis. New disease subtypes were recognized based on the consensus clustering method, and their biological uniqueness was verified via various algorithms. The prognosis signature was constructed using the LASSO-Cox regression model, and its predictive power was validated in external datasets by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. An independent prognostic analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the signature could be considered a prognostic factor independent of other variables. A nomogram was constructed in conjunction with traditional clinical variables. The concordance index (C-index) and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) were used to assess the net clinical benefit of the signature over traditional clinical variables. Seven different softwares were used to compare the differences in immune infiltration between the high- and low-risk groups to explore potential mechanisms of glioma development and prognosis. Hub genes were found using the random forest method, and their expression was based on multiple single-cell datasets.

Results

Four molecular subtypes were identified, among which the C1 group had the worst prognosis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results and heatmaps indicated that prognosis-related transmembrane protein genes exhibited differential expression in all four groups. Besides, the microenvironment of the four groups exhibited significant heterogeneity. The 6 gene-based signatures could predict the 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS) of glioma patients. The signature could be used as an independent prognosis factor of glioma OS and was superior to traditional clinical variables. More immune cells were infiltrated in the high-risk group, suggesting immune escape. According to our signature, many genes were associated with the content of immune cells, which revealed that transmembrane protein-related genes might influence the development and prognosis of glioma by regulating the immune microenvironment. TMEM158 was identified as the most important gene using the random forest method. The single-cell datasets consistently showed that TMEM158 was expressed in multiple malignant cells.

Conclusion

The expression of transmembrane protein-related genes is closely related to the immune status and prognosis of glioma patients by regulating tumor progression in various ways. The interaction between transmembrane protein-related genes and immunity during glioma development lays the groundwork for future studies on the molecular mechanism and targeted therapy of glioma.

Systematic pan-cancer analysis identifies transmembrane protein 158 as a potential therapeutic, prognostic and immunological biomarker

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression significance, predictive value, immunologic function, and biological role of transmembrane protein 158 (TMEM158) in the development of pan-cancer. To achieve this, we utilized data from multiple databases, including TCGA, GTEx, GEPIA, and TIMER, to collect gene transcriptome, patient prognosis, and tumor immune data. We evaluated the association of TMEM158 with patient prognosis, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) in pan-cancer samples. We performed immune checkpoint gene co-expression analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to better understand the immunologic function of TMEM158. Our findings revealed that TMEM158 was significantly differentially expressed between most types of cancer tissues and their adjacent normal tissues and was associated with prognosis. Moreover, TMEM158 was significantly correlated with TMB, MSI, and tumor immune cell infiltration in multiple cancers. Co-expression analysis of immune checkpoint genes showed that TMEM158 was related to the expression of several common immune checkpoint genes, especially CTLA4 and LAG3. Gene enrichment analysis further revealed that TMEM158 was involved in multiple immune-related biological pathways in pan-cancer. Overall, this systematic pan-cancer analysis suggests that TMEM158 is generally highly expressed in various cancer tissues and is closely related to patient prognosis and survival across multiple cancer types. TMEM158 may serve as a significant predictor of cancer prognosis and modulate immune responses to various types of cancer.

The Role of Signaling Pathways in Pancreatic Cancer Targeted Therapy

Signaling pathways play significant roles in the occurrence, development, and treatment of pancreatic cancer (PC). The main treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, arterial infusion chemotherapy in interventional therapy, and immunotherapy. Many studies have shown that signaling pathways perform a function in the occurrence and development of PC, for instance, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, nuclear factor-κB, Ras, interleukin (IL)-17B/IL-17RB, Wnt, and hepatocyte growth factor/c-MET, which play roles in the proliferation, metastasis, invasion, inhibition of apoptosis, promotion of angiogenesis, and drug resistance of PC. Interaction of signaling pathways has an impact on the biological behavior of PC; for example, activation of the neurotensin/NTSR1 pathway, which can activate mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor-κB, and other pathways related to PC stem cells, play an important role in PC, and an increase in their number is associated with the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K pathways. Chemotherapy is the main method for the treatment of PC, but drug resistance limits its use. In addition, abnormal activation of IL-17B/IL-17RB signaling pathway is associated with drug resistance. This article discusses the signaling pathways that play different roles in the occurrence and development of PC, as well as current research on signaling pathways in PC treatment.

HOXC8 alleviates high glucose-triggered damage of trophoblast cells during gestational diabetes mellitus via activating TGFβ1-mediated Notch1 pathway

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasingly frequent disease occurred during pregnancy. HOXC8 has been disclosed to take part in the regulation of cancers. Additionally, the HOXC8 expression was dramatically decreased in the placenta of pre-eclampsia patients, but its expression and function have not been investigated in GDM. In this work, it was demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression of HOXC8 was lower in GDM placenta tissues and GDM cell model. In addition, HOXC8 facilitated trophoblast cell proliferation and weakened trophoblast cell mitochondrial apoptosis. HOXC8 enhanced trophoblast cell migration and angiogenesis. Moreover, HOXC8 activated the TGFβ1-mediated Notch1 signaling pathway. Results showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of TGFβ1 and Notch1 were both lower in the GDM group than that in the NP group. Besides, there were positive correlations among HOXC8, TGFβ1 and Notch1. Inhibition of TGFβ1 (SB202190 treatment) reversed the effects of HOXC8 on trophoblast cells through modulating cell proliferation, mitochondrial apoptosis, migration and angiogenesis. At last, through in vivo experiments, it was identified that HOXC8 relieved GDM symptoms in vivo. In conclusion, HOXC8 alleviated HG-stimulated damage of trophoblast cells during GDM through activating TGFβ1-mediated Notch1 pathway. This discovery may provide a novel and useful bio-target for GDM treatment.

TMEM158 expression is negatively regulated by AR signaling and associated with favorite survival outcomes in prostate cancers

BACKGROUND

Membrane protein TMEM158 was initially reported as a Ras-induced gene during senescence and has been implicated as either an oncogenic factor or tumor suppressor, depending on tumor types. It is unknown if TMEM158 expression is altered in prostate cancers.

METHODS

Multiple public gene expression datasets from RNA-seq and cDNA microarray assays were utilized to analyze candidate gene expression profiles. TMEM158 protein expression was assessed using an immunohistochemistry approach on a tissue section array from benign and malignant prostate tissues. Comparisons of gene expression profiles were conducted using the bioinformatics software R package.

RESULTS

COX regression-based screening identified the membrane protein TMEM158 gene as negatively associated with disease-specific and progression-free survival in prostate cancer patients. Gene expression at the mRNA and protein levels revealed that TMEM158 expression was significantly reduced in malignant tissues compared to benign compartments. Meanwhile, TMEM158 downregulation was strongly correlated with advanced clinicopathological features, including late-stage diseases, lymph node invasion, higher PSA levels, residual tumors after surgery, and adverse Gleason scores. In castration-resistant prostate cancers, TMEM158 expression was negatively correlated with AR signaling activity but positively correlated with neuroendocrinal progression index. Consistently, in cell culture models, androgen treatment reduced TMEM158 expression, while androgen deprivation led to upregulation of TMEM158 expression. Correlation analysis showed a tight correlation of TMEM158 expression with the level of R-Ras gene expression, which was also significantly downregulated in prostate cancers. Tumor immune infiltration profiling analysis discovered a strong association of TMEM158 expression with NK cell and Mast cell enrichment.

CONCLUSION

The membrane protein TMEM158 is significantly downregulated in prostate cancer and is tightly associated with disease progression, anti-tumor immune infiltration, and patient survival outcome.

TMEM158 promotes the proliferation and migration of glioma cells via STAT3 signaling in glioblastomas

Glioblastoma is the most common primary intracranial malignant tumor in adults and has high morbidity and high mortality. TMEM158 has been reported to promote the progression of solid tumors. However, its potential role in glioma is still unclear. Here, we found that TMEM158 expression in human glioma cells in the tumor core was significantly higher than that in noncancerous cells at the tumor edge using bioinformatics analysis. Cancer cells in patients with primary GBMs harbored significantly higher expression of TMEM158 than those in patients with WHO grade II or III gliomas. Interestingly, regardless of tumor grading, human glioma samples that were IDH1-wild-type (IDH1-WT) exhibited higher expression of TMEM158 than those with IDH1-mutant (IDH1-Mut). We also illustrated that TMEM158 mRNA expression was correlated with poor overall survival in glioma patients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that silencing TMEM158 inhibited the proliferation of glioma cells and that TMEM158 overexpression promoted the migration and invasion of glioma cells by stimulating the EMT process. We found that the underlying mechanism involves STAT3 activation mediating TMEM158-driven glioma progression. In vivo results further confirmed the inhibitory effect of the TMEM158 downregulation on glioma growth. Collectively, these findings further our understanding of the oncogenic function of TMEM158 in gliomas, which represents a potential therapeutic target, especially for GBMs.

Identification of Paxillin as a Prognostic Factor for Glioblastoma via Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive type of brain tumor in the central nervous system. Clinical outcomes for patients with GBM are unsatisfactory. Here, we aimed to identify novel, reliable prognostic factors for GBM. Cox and interactive analyses were used to identify hub genes from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas datasets. After validation using various cohorts, survival analysis, meta-analysis, and prognostic analysis were performed. Coexpression and enrichment analyses were performed to elucidate the biological pathways of hub genes involved in GBM. ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT methods were applied to analyze the association of hub genes with the tumor microenvironment (TME). Paxillin (PXN) was identified as a hub gene with a high expression in GBM. PXN expression was negatively correlated with overall survival, progression-free survival, and disease-free survival in patients with GBM. Meta-analysis and Cox analysis revealed that PXN could act as an independent prognostic factor in GBM. In addition, PXN was significantly coexpressed with signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and transforming growth factor β1 and participated in focal adhesion, extracellular matrix/receptor interactions, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway. The results of ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT analyses revealed that PXN was implicated in TME alterations, particularly the infiltration of regulatory T cells, activated memory T cells, and activated natural killer cells. PXN may be a reliable prognostic factor for GBM. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.

TMEM139 prevents NSCLC metastasis by inhibiting lysosomal degradation of E-cadherin

Non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and has the highest mortality rate among all solid tumors. It is characterized by early metastasis, and investigations of the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression and metastasis of NSCLC are urgently needed for the development of therapeutic targets. Here, we report that the transmembrane protein TMEM139 is significantly downregulated in NSCLC and that reduced expression of TMEM139 is correlated with a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, we found that TMEM139 directly interacts with E‐cadherin at the plasma membrane and at focal adhesion sites. Moreover, TMEM139 can prevent the lysosomal degradation of E‐cadherin, which inhibits epithelial‐mesenchymal transition, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our study not only expands our understanding of NSCLC metastasis but also provides a foundation to develop novel therapeutic strategies.

LEM domain containing 1 promotes pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis by p53 and mTORC1 signaling pathway

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a common type of malignancy originating from the epithelium of the pancreatic duct, with the most lethal feature and worst prognosis. LEM domain containing 1 (LEMD1) is overexpressed in multiple tumor tissues and plays a key role in cancer carcinogenesis and progression. However, little is known about the potential of LEMD1 in PC. In this study, we explored the clinical values, as well as the potential roles and mechanisms of LEMD1 in PC. We, for the first time, showed that LEMD1 was upregulated in PC and negatively correlated with the overall and disease-free survival of patients with PC. Of the function, LEMD1 knockdown inhibited cancer cell growth, migration and invasion, while LEMD1 overexpression promoted tumor aggressiveness. The tumor-promoting influences of LEMD1 in PC were also proved by in vivo assays. Mechanistically, GSEA identified that LEMD1 promoted PC aggressiveness, as well as affecting cell cycle dysregulation and apoptosis resistance, by p53 suppression and the activation of the mTORC1 signal pathway. In short, LEMD1 could serve as a valuable prognostic candidate and a potential therapeutic target of PC.Abbreviations: ATCC: American Type Culture Collection; CCK-8: Cell counting kit 8; CDK: Cyclin-dependent kinases; CTA: Cancer-testis antigen; DMEM: Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium; ECL: enhanced chemiluminescence; FBS: Fetal bovine serum; GEO: Gene Expression Omnibus; LEMD1: LEM domain containing 1; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; NC: Negative control; PC: Pancreatic cancer; PVDF: Polyvinylidene difluoride membranes; qRT-PCR: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; SDS-PAGE: Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; SD: Standard deviation; SKP2: S-Phase kinase-associated protein 2; TAA: Tumor-associated antigen; TBST: Tris-buffered Saline Tween-20; TCGA: The Cancer Genome Atlas.

Identification of Three Loci Associated with Achilles Tendon Injury Risk from a Genome-wide Association Study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to screen the entire genome for genetic markers associated with risk for Achilles tendon injury.

METHODS

A genome-wide association analysis was performed using data from the Kaiser Permanente Research Board and the UK Biobank. Achilles tendon injury cases were identified based on electronic health records from the Kaiser Permanente Research Board databank and the UK Biobank from individuals of European ancestry. Genome-wide association analyses from both cohorts were tested for Achilles tendon injury using a logistic regression model adjusting for sex, height, weight, and race/ethnicity using allele counts for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Previously identified genes within the literature were also tested for association with Achilles tendon injury.

RESULTS

There were a total of 12,354 cases of Achilles tendon injury and 483,080 controls within the two combined cohorts, with 67 SNP in three chromosomal loci demonstrating a genome-wide significant association with Achilles tendon injury. The first locus contains a single SNP (rs183364169) near the CDCP1 and TMEM158 genes on chromosome 3. The second locus contains 65 SNP in three independently segregating sets near the MPP7 gene on chromosome 10. The last locus contains a single SNP (rs4454832) near the SOX21 and GPR180 genes on chromosome 13. The current data were used to test 14 candidate genes previously reported to show an association with Achilles tendon injury, but none showed a significant association (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Three loci were identified as potential risk factors for Achilles tendon injury and deserve further validation and investigation of molecular mechanisms.

The molecular biology of pancreatic adenocarcinoma: translational challenges and clinical perspectives

Pancreatic cancer is an increasingly common cause of cancer mortality with a tight correspondence between disease mortality and incidence. Furthermore, it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage with a very dismal prognosis. Due to the high heterogeneity, metabolic reprogramming, and dense stromal environment associated with pancreatic cancer, patients benefit little from current conventional therapy. Recent insight into the biology and genetics of pancreatic cancer has supported its molecular classification, thus expanding clinical therapeutic options. In this review, we summarize how the biological features of pancreatic cancer and its metabolic reprogramming as well as the tumor microenvironment regulate its development and progression. We further discuss potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer diagnosis, prediction, and surveillance based on novel liquid biopsies. We also outline recent advances in defining pancreatic cancer subtypes and subtype-specific therapeutic responses and current preclinical therapeutic models. Finally, we discuss prospects and challenges in the clinical development of pancreatic cancer therapeutics.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Its Regulation Mechanisms in Pancreatic Cancer

As one of the malignancies with high mortality and high insensitivity to existing therapies, pancreatic cancer and mechanisms underlying its progression have received growing scholarly attention. The role of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in pancreatic cancer genesis and metastasis has been reported albeit controversy has remained. Recent insights into further EMT-regulating mechanisms underlying pancreatic cancer contribute to the nexus between EMT and this cancer type. This review will elucidate the role of EMT as a hallmark for pancreatic cancer as well as summarize EMT-regulating factors recently detected as a key advance in the research stream on EMT in pancreatic cancer.

A hybrid systems biology and systems pharmacology investigation of Zingerone's effects on reconstructed human epidermal tissues

Background

As individuals live longer, elderly populations can be expected to face issues. This pattern urges researchers to investigate the aging concept further to produce successful anti-aging agents. In the current study, the effects of Zingerone (a natural compound) on epidermal tissues were analyzed using a bioinformatics approach.

Methods

For this purpose, we chose the GEO dataset GSE133338 to carry out the systems biology and systems pharmacology approaches, ranging from identifying the differentially expressed genes to analyzing the gene ontology, determining similar structures of Zingerone and their features (i.e., anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin disorders), constructing the gene-chemicals network, analyzing gene-disease relationships, and validating significant genes through the evidence presented in the literature.

Results

The post-processing of the microarray dataset identified thirteen essential genes among control and Zingerone-treated samples. The procedure revealed various structurally similar chemical and herbal compounds with possible skin-related effects. Additionally, we studied the relationships of differentially expressed genes with skin-related diseases and validated their direct connections with skin disorders the evidence available in the literature. Also, the analysis of the microarray profiling dataset revealed the critical role of interleukins as a part of the cytokines family on skin aging progress.

Conclusions

Zingerone, and potentially any constituents of Zingerone (e.g., their similar compound scan functionality), can be used as therapeutic agents in managing skin disorders such as skin aging. However, the beneficial effects of Zingerone should be assessed in other models (i.e., human or animal) in future studies.

OSmfs: An Online Interactive Tool to Evaluate Prognostic Markers for Myxofibrosarcoma

Myxofibrosarcoma is a complex genetic disease with poor prognosis. However, more effective biomarkers that forebode poor prognosis in Myxofibrosarcoma remain to be determined. Herein, utilizing gene expression profiling data and clinical follow-up data of Myxofibrosarcoma cases in three independent cohorts with a total of 128 Myxofibrosarcoma samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, we constructed an easy-to-use web tool, named Online consensus Survival analysis for Myxofibrosarcoma (OSmfs) to analyze the prognostic value of certain genes. Through retrieving the database, users generate a Kaplan–Meier plot with log-rank test and hazard ratio (HR) to assess prognostic-related genes or discover novel Myxofibrosarcoma prognostic biomarkers. The effectiveness and availability of OSmfs were validated using genes in ever reports predicting the prognosis of Myxofibrosarcoma patients. Furthermore, utilizing the cox analysis data and transcriptome data establishing OSmfs, seven genes were selected and considered as more potentially prognostic biomarkers through overlapping and ROC analysis. In conclusion, OSmfs is a promising web tool to evaluate the prognostic potency and reliability of genes in Myxofibrosarcoma, which may significantly contribute to the enrichment of novelly potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Myxofibrosarcoma.

MicroRNA-548ac induces apoptosis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting transmembrane protein 158

Laryngeal cancer is a common head and neck cancer that effects the quality of life of those affected. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital to minimize the harmful effects of laryngeal cancer, which can improve the survival rate of patients following surgery and retain the voice function of the larynx. The purpose of the present study was to explore the molecular mechanism of the development of laryngeal cancer and to determine the biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal cancer. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and The Cancer Genome Atlas database analysis were used to confirm high expression of TMEM158 in laryngeal cancer. The effects of TMEM158 and miR-548ac was investigated through in vitro and in vivo assays (MTT assay, colony-formation assay, flow cytometry assay, western blotting and tumor xenograft assay). Luciferase reporter assay, western blotting and RTq-PCR were used to confirm that miR-548 directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region of TMEM158 and inhibited TMEM158 expression. Taken together, the present results suggest that miR-548ac functions as a crucial cancer suppressor in laryngeal cancer, which induces apoptosis in laryngeal cancer cells by suppressing TMEM158. Thus, miR-548ac may be a potential target for the treatment of laryngeal cancer.

Role of PI3K/AKT pathway in cancer: the framework of malignant behavior

Given that the PI3K/AKT pathway has manifested its compelling influence on multiple cellular process, we further review the roles of hyperactivation of PI3K/AKT pathway in various human cancers. We state the abnormalities of PI3K/AKT pathway in different cancers, which are closely related with tumorigenesis, proliferation, growth, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stem-like phenotype, immune microenvironment and drug resistance of cancer cells. In addition, we investigated the current clinical trials of inhibitors against PI3K/AKT pathway in cancers and found that the clinical efficacy of these inhibitors as monotherapy has so far been limited despite of the promising preclinical activity, which means combinations of targeted therapy may achieve better efficacies in cancers. In short, we hope to feature PI3K/AKT pathway in cancers to the clinic and bring the new promising to patients for targeted therapies.

Identification of novel functions of the ROCK2-specific inhibitor KD025 by bioinformatics analysis

Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCKs) have various cellular functions, which include actin cytoskeleton remodeling and vesicular trafficking, and there are two major mammalian ROCK isotypes, namely, ROCK1 (ROKβ) and ROCK2 (ROKα). The ROCK2-specific inhibitor KD025 (SLx-2119) is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials, but its cellular functions have not been fully explored. In this study, we investigated the functions of KD025 at the genomics level by bioinformatics analysis using the GSE8686 microarray dataset from the NCBI GEO database, in three different primary human cell lines. An initial microarray analysis conducted by Boerma et al. focused on the effects of KD025 on cell adhesion and blood coagulation, but did not provide comprehensive information on the functions of KD025. Our analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed ~70% coincidence with Boerma et al.'s findings, and newly identified that CCND1, CXCL2, NT5E, and SMOX were differentially expressed by KD025. However, due to low numbers of co-regulated DEGs, we were unable to extract the functions of KD025 with significance. To overcome this limitation, we used gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the heatmap hierarchical clustering method. We confirmed KD025 regulated inflammation and adipogenesis pathways, as previously reported experimentally. In addition, we found KD025 has novel regulatory functions on various pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation, WNT signaling, angiogenesis, and KRAS signaling. Further studies are required to systematically characterize these newly identified functions of KD025.