Insulin Stimulates PI3K/AKT and Cell Adhesion to Promote the Survival of Individualized Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Role of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway involved in self-renewing and maintaining biological properties of chicken primordial germ cells

Avian primordial germ cells (PGCs) are important culture cells for the production of transgenic chickens and preservation of the genetic resources of endangered species; however, culturing these cells in vitro proves challenging. Although the proliferation of chicken PGCs is dependent on insulin, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we explored the expression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in PGCs, investigated its effects on PGC self-renewal and biological properties, and identified the underlying mechanisms. Our findings indicated that although supplementation with the PI3K/AKT activator IGF-1 failed to promote proliferation under the assessed culture conditions, the PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 resulted in retarded cell proliferation and reduced expression of germ cell-related markers. We further demonstrated that inhibition of PI3K/AKT regulates the cell cycle and promotes apoptosis in PGCs by activating the expression of BAX and inhibiting that of Bcl-2. These findings indicated that the PI3K/AKT pathway is required for cell renewal, apoptosis, and maintenance of the reproductive potential in chicken PGCs. This study aimed to provide a theoretical basis for the optimization and improvement of a culture system for chicken PGCs and provide insights into the self-renewal of vertebrate PGCs as well as potential evolutionary changes in this unique cell population.

Bioinformatics analysis based on extracted ingredients combined with network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation to explore the mechanism of Jinbei oral liquid in the therapy of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Objective

Jinbei oral liquid (JBOL), which is derived from a traditional hospital preparation, is frequently utilized to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and has shown efficacy in clinical therapy. However, there are now several obstacles facing the mechanism inquiry, including target proteins, active components, and the binding affinity between crucial compounds and target proteins. To gain additional insight into the mechanisms underlying JBOL in anti-IPF, this study used bioinformation technologies, including network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation, with a substantial amount of data based on realistic constituents.

Methods

Using network pharmacology, we loaded 118 realistic compounds into the SwissTargetPrediction and SwissADME databases and screened the active compounds and target proteins. IPF-related targets were collected from the OMIM, DisGeNET, and GeneCards databases, and the network of IPF-active constituents was built with Cytoscape 3.10.1. The GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were carried out using Metascape, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to screen the key targets with the STRING database. Finally, the reciprocal affinity between the active molecules and the crucial targets was assessed through the use of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation.

Results

A total of 122 targets and 34 tested active compounds were summarized in this investigation. Among these, kaempferol, apigenin, baicalein were present in high degree. PPI networks topological analysis identified eight key target proteins. AGE-RAGE, EGFR, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were found to be regulated during the phases of cell senescence, inflammatory response, autophagy, and immunological response in anti-IPF of JBOL. It was verified by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation that the combining way and binding energy between active ingredients and selected targets.

Conclusions

This work forecasts the prospective core ingredients, targets, and signal pathways of JBOL in anti-IPF, which has confirmed the multiple targets and pathways of JBOL in anti-IPF and provided the first comprehensive assessment with bioinformatic approaches. With empirical backing and an innovative approach to the molecular mechanism, JBOL is being considered as a potential new medication.

ERK5 promotes autocrine expression to sustain mitogenic balance for cell fate specification in human pluripotent stem cells

The homeostasis of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) requires the signaling balance of extracellular factors. Exogenous regulators from cell culture medium have been widely reported, but little attention has been paid to the autocrine factor from hPSCs themselves. In this report, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-related kinase 5 (ERK5) regulates endogenous autocrine factors essential for pluripotency and differentiation. ERK5 inhibition leads to erroneous cell fate specification in all lineages even under lineage-specific induction. hPSCs can self-renew under ERK5 inhibition in the presence of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), although NANOG expression is partially suppressed. Further analysis demonstrates that ERK5 promotes the expression of autocrine factors such as NODAL, FGF8, and WNT3. The addition of NODAL protein rescues NANOG expression and differentiation phenotypes under ERK5 inhibition. We demonstrate that constitutively active ERK5 pathway allows self-renewal even without essential growth factors FGF2 and TGF-β. This study highlights the essential contribution of autocrine pathways to proper maintenance and differentiation.

Insulin promotes the bone formation capability of human dental pulp stem cells through attenuating the IIS/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway axis

BACKGROUND

Insulin has been known to regulate bone metabolism, yet its specific molecular mechanisms during the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore the effects of insulin on the bone formation capability of human DPSCs and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Cell proliferation was assessed using a CCK-8 assay. Cell phenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry. Colony-forming unit-fibroblast ability and multilineage differentiation potential were evaluated using Toluidine blue, Oil red O, Alizarin red, and Alcian blue staining. Gene and protein expressions were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Bone metabolism and biochemical markers were analyzed using electrochemical luminescence and chemical colorimetry. Cell adhesion and growth on nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (nHAC) were observed with a scanning electron microscope. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-CT, fluorescent labeling, immunohistochemical and hematoxylin and eosin staining.

RESULTS

Insulin enhanced the proliferation of human DPSCs as well as promoted mineralized matrix formation in a concentration-dependent manner. 10- 6 M insulin significantly up-regulated osteogenic differentiation-related genes and proteins markedly increased the secretion of bone metabolism and biochemical markers, and obviously stimulated mineralized matrix formation. However, it also significantly inhibited the expression of genes and proteins of receptors and receptor substrates associated with insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling (IIS) pathway, obviously reduced the expression of the phosphorylated PI3K and the ratios of the phosphorylated PI3K/total PI3K, and notably increased the expression of the total PI3K, phosphorylated AKT, total AKT and mTOR. The inhibitor LY294002 attenuated the responsiveness of 10- 6 M insulin to IIS/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway axis, suppressing the promoting effect of insulin on cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and bone formation. Implantation of 10- 6 M insulin treated DPSCs into the backs of severe combined immunodeficient mice and the rabbit jawbone defects resulted in enhanced bone formation.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin induces insulin resistance in human DPSCs and effectively promotes their proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and bone formation capability through gradually inducing the down-regulation of IIS/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway axis under insulin resistant states.

Circulating plasma fibronectin affects tissue insulin sensitivity, adipocyte differentiation, and transcriptional landscape of adipose tissue in mice

Plasma fibronectin (pFN) is a hepatocyte-derived circulating extracellular matrix protein that affects cell morphology, adipogenesis, and insulin signaling of adipocytes in vitro. In this study, we show pFN accrual to adipose tissue and its contribution to tissue homeostasis in mice. Hepatocyte-specific conditional Fn1 knockout mice (Fn1-/-ALB) show a decrease in adipose tissue FN levels and enhanced insulin sensitivity of subcutaneous (inguinal), visceral (epididymal) adipose tissue on a normal diet. Diet-induced obesity model of the Fn1-/-ALB mouse showed normal weight gain and whole-body fat mass, and normal adipose tissue depot volumes and unaltered circulating leptin and adiponectin levels. However, Fn1-/-ALB adipose depots showed significant alterations in adipocyte size and gene expression profiles. The inguinal adipose tissue on a normal diet, which had alterations in fatty acid metabolism and thermogenesis suggesting browning. The presence of increased beige adipocyte markers Ucp1 and Prdm16 supported this. In the inguinal fat, the obesogenic diet resulted in downregulation of the browning markers and changes in gene expression reflecting development, morphogenesis, and mesenchymal stem cell maintenance. Epididymal adipose tissue showed alterations in developmental and stem cell gene expression on both diets. The data suggests a role for pFN in adipose tissue insulin sensitivity and cell profiles.

Neural Stem Cell-based Regenerative Therapy: A New Approach to Diabetes Treatment

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disorder that occurs due to the loss, or impaired function of insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells, which are of two types - type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D). To cure DM, the replacement of the destroyed pancreatic beta cells of islet of Langerhans is the most widely practiced treatment. For this, isolating neuronal stem cells and cultivating them as a source of renewable beta cells is a significant breakthrough in medicine. The functions, growth, and gene expression of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells and neurons are very similar in many ways. A diabetic patient's neural stem cells (obtained from the hippocampus and olfactory bulb) can be used as a replacement source of beta cells for regenerative therapy to treat diabetes. The same protocol used to create functional neurons from progenitor cells can be used to create beta cells. Recent research suggests that replacing lost pancreatic beta cells with autologous transplantation of insulin-producing neural progenitor cells may be a perfect therapeutic strategy for diabetes, allowing for a safe and normal restoration of function and a reduction in potential risks and a long-term cure.

Effects of Insulin on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Ferroptosis in Primordial Germ Cells via PI3K-AKT-mTOR Signaling Pathway

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are essential for the genetic modification, resource conservation, and recovery of endangered breeds in chickens and need to remain viable and proliferative in vitro. Therefore, there is an urgent need to elucidate the functions of the influencing factors and their regulatory mechanisms. In this study, PGCs collected from Rugao yellow chicken embryonic eggs at Day 5.5 were cultured in media containing 0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 μg/mL insulin. The results showed that insulin regulates cell proliferation in PGCs in a dose-dependent way, with an optimal dose of 10 μg/mL. Insulin mediates the mRNA expression of cell cycle-, apoptosis-, and ferroptosis-related genes. Insulin at 50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL slowed down the proliferation with elevated ion content and GSH/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in PGCs compared to 10 μg/mL. In addition, insulin activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway dose dependently. Collectively, this study demonstrates that insulin reduces apoptosis and ferroptosis and enhances cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner via the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway in PGCs, providing a new addition to the theory of the regulatory role of the growth and proliferation of PGC in vitro cultures.

Multiple forms of cell death: A focus on the PI3K/AKT pathway

Cell death is a natural biological process that occurs in living organisms. Since 1963, extensive research has shed light on the occurrence, progress, and final outcome of cell death. According to different cell phenotypes, it is classified into different types, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, and so on. However, regardless of the form of cell death, what we ultimately expect is the disappearance of abnormal cells, such as tumor cells, while normal cells survive. As a result, it is vital to investigate the details of cell death, including death triggers, potent regulators, and executioners. Although significant progress has been made in understanding molecular pathways of cell death, many aspects remain unclear because of the complex regulatory networks in cells. Among them, the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT) pathway is discovered to be a crucial regulator of the cell death process. AKT, as a proto-oncogene, has become a major focus of attention in the medical community due to its role in regulating a multiplicity of cellular functions counting metabolism, immunity, proliferation, survival, transcription, and protein synthesis. Here, we explored the connection between the PI3K/AKT pathway and cell death, aiming to enhance our comprehension of the mechanism underlying this process. Such knowledge may pave the way for the subsequent development of more effective disease treatments, such as finding suitable targets for drug intervention.

Insulin promotes the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells by up-regulating the expression of PLK1 through the PI3K/AKT pathway

Pancreatic cancer has a particularly poor prognosis compared to other tumors. The peculiar hyperinsulin microenvironment of the pancreas is formed due to the endocrine secretion of islets in the pancreas. This study focused on the effect of insulin on the migration and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells and its molecular mechanisms. We found that insulin promotes the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. At the same time, it can up-regulate the expression of PLK1 in pancreatic cancer cells. Knocking down the expression of PLK1 in pancreatic cancer cells can inhibit the effect of insulin on the biological behavior of pancreatic cancer. In addition, we found that insulin activates the PI3K/AKT pathway in pancreatic cancer cells, and that inhibition of this pathway suppresses PLK1 expression. The PI3K/AKT inhibitor LY294002 inhibits the effects of insulin on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. This study shows that insulin up-regulates PLK1 expression in pancreatic cancer cells via the PI3K/AKT pathway, which in this way enhances the migration and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. This may be one of the important reasons for the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

The roles of growth factors and hormones in the regulation of muscle satellite cells for cultured meat production

Cultured meat is a potential sustainable food generated by the in vitro myogenesis of muscle satellite (stem) cells (MSCs). The self-renewal and differentiation properties of MSCs are of primary interest for cultured meat production. MSC proliferation and differentiation are influenced by a variety of growth factors such as insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), fibroblast growth factors (FGF-2 and FGF-21), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and by hormones like insulin, testosterone, glucocorticoids, and thyroid hormones. In this review, we investigated the roles of growth factors and hormones during cultured meat production because these factors provide signals for MSC growth and structural stability. The aim of this article is to provide the important idea about different growth factors such as FGF (enhance the cell proliferation and differentiation), IGF-1 (increase the number of myoblasts), PDGF (myoblast proliferation), TGF-β1 (muscle repair) and hormones such as insulin (cell survival and growth), testosterone (muscle fiber size), dexamethasone (myoblast proliferation and differentiation), and thyroid hormones (amount and diameter of muscle fibers and determine the usual pattern of fiber distributions) as media components during myogenesis for cultured meat production.

Functional and clinical characteristics of focal adhesion kinases in cancer progression

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase and an adaptor protein that primarily regulates adhesion signaling and cell migration. FAK promotes cell survival in response to stress. Increasing evidence has shown that at the pathological level, FAK is highly expressed in multiple tumors in several systems (including lung, liver, gastric, and colorectal cancers) and correlates with tumor aggressiveness and patient prognosis. At the molecular level, FAK promotes tumor progression mainly by altering survival signals, invasive capacity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the tumor microenvironment, the Warburg effect, and stemness of tumor cells. Many effective drugs have been developed based on the comprehensive role of FAK in tumor cells. In addition, its potential as a tumor marker cannot be ignored. Here, we discuss the pathological and pre-clinical evidence of the role of FAK in cancer development; we hope that these findings will assist in FAK-based clinical studies.

Oxidative Stress and Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: Pathophysiology, Signaling Pathway, and Therapy

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), characterized as decreased proteoglycan content, ossification of endplate, and decreased intervertebral height, is one of the major reasons of low back pain, which seriously affects the quality of life and also brings heavy economic burden. However, the mechanisms leading to IDD and its therapeutic targets have not been fully elucidated. Oxidative stress refers to the imbalance between oxidation and antioxidant systems, between too many products of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the insufficient scavenging function. Excessive ROS can damage cell lipids, nucleic acids and proteins, which has been proved to be related to the development of a variety of diseases. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have reported that oxidative stress is involved in the pathological process of IDD. Excessive ROS can accelerate the IDD process via inducing the pathological activities, such as inflammation, apoptosis, and senescence. In this review, we focused on pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress-induced IDD. Moreover, the present review also summarized the possible ideas for the future therapy strategies of oxidative stress-related IDD.

ELA-11 protects the heart against oxidative stress injury induced apoptosis through ERK/MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways

Increasing evidence revealed that apoptosis and oxidative stress injury were associated with the pathophysiology of doxorubicin (DOX)-induced myocardial injury. ELABELA (ELA) is a newly identified peptide with 32 amino acids, can reduce hypertension with exogenous infusion. However, the effect of 11-residue furn-cleaved fragment (ELA-11) is still unclear. We first administrated ELA-11 in DOX-injured mice and measured the cardiac function and investigated the effect of ELA-11 in vivo. We found that ELA-11 alleviated heart injury induced by DOX and inhibited cardiac tissues from apoptosis. In vitro, ELA-11 regulated the sensitivity towards apoptosis induced by oxidative stress with DOX treatment through PI3K/AKT and ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. Similarly, ELA-11 inhibited oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in cobalt chloride (CoCl₂)-injured cardiomyocytes. Moreover, ELA-11 protected cardiomyocyte by interacting with Apelin receptor (APJ) by using 4-oxo-6-((pyrimidin-2-ylthio) methyl)-4H-pyran-3-yl 4-nitrobenzoate (ML221). Hence, our results indicated a protective role of ELA-11 in oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in DOX-induced myocardial injury.

Daidzein Activates Akt Pathway to Promote the Proliferation of Female Germline Stem Cells through Upregulating Clec11a

Female germline stem cells (FGSCs) have been successfully isolated and characterized from postnatal mammalian and human ovarian tissues. However, the effects and mechanisms of action of natural small-molecule compounds on FGSCs are largely unknown. Here, we found that daidzein promoted the viability and proliferation of FGSCs. To elucidate the mechanism underlying this, we performed RNA-Sequence in daidzein-treated FGSCs and controls. The results showed that there were 153 upregulated and 156 downregulated genes in daidzein treatment. We confirmed the expression of some genes related to cell proliferation in the sequencing results by RT-PCR, such as Type C lectin domain family 11 member a (Clec11a), Mucin1 (Muc1), Glutathione peroxidase 3 (Gpx3), and Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (Tet1). The high expression of Clec11a at the protein level after daidzein treatment was also confirmed by western blotting. Furthermore, recombinant mouse Clec11a (rmClec11a) protein was shown to promote the viability and proliferation of FGSCs. However, knockdown of Clec11a inhibited the viability and proliferation of FGSCs, which could not be rescued by the administration of daidzein. These results indicate that daidzein promoted the viability and proliferation of FGSCs through Clec11a. In addition, both daidzein and rmClec11a activated the Akt signaling pathway in FGSCs. However, Clec11a knockdown inhibited this pathway, which could not be rescued by daidzein administration. Taken together, our findings revealed that daidzein activates the Akt signaling pathway to promote cell viability and proliferation through upregulating Clec11a. This study should deepen our understanding of the developmental mechanism of FGSCs and female infertility.

Thyroid hormone enhances stem cell maintenance and promotes lineage-specific differentiation in human embryonic stem cells

Background

Thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) is essential for embryogenesis and is commonly used during in vitro fertilization to ensure successful implantation. However, the regulatory mechanisms of T3 during early embryogenesis are largely unknown.

Method

To study the impact of T3 on hPSCs, cell survival and growth were evaluated by measurement of cell growth curve, cloning efficiency, survival after passaging, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle status. Pluripotency was evaluated by RT-qPCR, immunostaining and FACS analysis of pluripotency markers. Metabolic status was analyzed using LC–MS/MS and Seahorse XF Cell Mito Stress Test. Global gene expression was analyzed using RNA-seq. To study the impact of T3 on lineage-specific differentiation, cells were subjected to T3 treatment during differentiation, and the outcome was evaluated using RT-qPCR, immunostaining and FACS analysis of lineage-specific markers.

Results

In this report, we use human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) to show that T3 is beneficial for stem cell maintenance and promotes trophoblast differentiation. T3 enhances culture consistency by improving cell survival and passaging efficiency. It also modulates cellular metabolism and promotes energy production through oxidative phosphorylation. T3 helps maintain pluripotency by promoting ERK and SMAD2 signaling and reduces FGF2 dependence in chemically defined culture. Under BMP4 induction, T3 significantly enhances trophoblast differentiation.

Conclusion

In summary, our study reveals the impact of T3 on stem cell culture through signal transduction and metabolism and highlights its potential role in improving stem cell applications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-02799-y.

Muscle stem cell isolation and in vitro culture for meat production: A methodological review

Cultured muscle tissue-based protein products, also known as cultured meat, are produced through in vitro myogenesis involving muscle stem cell culture and differentiation, and mature muscle cell processing for flavor and texture. This review focuses on the in vitro myogenesis for cultured meat production. The muscle stem cell-based in vitro muscle tissue production consists of a sequential process: (1) muscle sampling for stem cell collection, (2) muscle tissue dissociation and muscle stem cell isolation, (3) primary cell culture, (4) upscaled cell culture, (5) muscle differentiation and maturation, and (6) muscle tissue harvest. Although muscle stem cell research is a well-established field, the majority of these steps remain to be underoptimized to enable the in vitro creation of edible muscle-derived meat products. The profound understanding of the process would help not only cultured meat production but also business sectors that have been seeking new biomaterials for the food industry. In this review, we discuss comprehensively and in detail each step of cutting-edge methods for cultured meat production. This would be meaningful for both academia and industry to prepare for the new era of cellular agriculture.

Insulin Promotes Mitochondrial Respiration and Survival through PI3K/AKT/GSK3 Pathway in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Insulin is an essential growth factor for the survival and self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Although it is best known as the principal hormone promoting glycolysis in somatic cells, insulin's roles in hESC energy metabolism remain unclear. In this report, we demonstrate that insulin is essential to sustain hESC mitochondrial respiration that is rapidly decreased upon insulin removal. Insulin-dependent mitochondrial respiration is stem cell specific, and mainly relies on pyruvate and glutamine, while glucose suppresses excessive oxidative phosphorylation. Pharmacologic and genetic manipulations reveal that continuous insulin signal sustains mitochondrial respiration through PI3K/AKT activation and downstream GSK3 inhibition. We further show that insulin acts through GSK3 inhibition to suppress caspase activation and rescue cell survival. This study uncovers a critical role of the AKT/GSK3 pathway in the regulation of mitochondrial respiration and cell survival, highlighting insulin as an essential factor for accurate assessment of mitochondrial respiration in hESCs.

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Insulin is continuously required to sustain mitochondrial respiration in hESCs

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Insulin-dependent mitochondrial respiration is substrate specific

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GSK3 is a major regulator of insulin-dependent respiration and cell survival

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Insulin is essential for accurate assessment of mitochondrial respiration in hESCs

Endogenous IGF Signaling Directs Heterogeneous Mesoderm Differentiation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

During embryogenesis, various cell types emerge simultaneously from their common progenitors under the influence of intrinsic signals. Human embryonic stem cells can differentiate to diverse cell types of three embryonic lineages, making them an excellent system for understanding the regulatory mechanism that maintains the balance of different cell types in embryogenesis. In this report, we demonstrate that insulin-like growth factor (IGF) proteins are endogenously expressed during differentiation, and their temporal expression contributes to the cell fate diversity in mesoderm differentiation. Small molecule LY294002 inhibits the IGF pathway to promote cardiomyocyte differentiation while suppressing epicardial and noncardiac cell fates. LY294002-induced cardiomyocytes demonstrate characteristic cardiomyocyte features and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac differentiation. We further show that LY294002 induces cardiomyocytes through CK2 pathway inhibition. This study elucidates the crucial roles of endogenous IGF in mesoderm differentiation and shows that the inhibition of the IGF pathway is an effective approach for generating cardiomyocytes.

Discovery of Prognostic Signature Genes for Overall Survival Prediction in Gastric Cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system with high mortality globally. However, the biomarkers that accurately predict the prognosis are still lacking. Therefore, it is important to screen for novel prognostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Methods

We conducted differential expression analysis and survival analysis to screen out the prognostic genes. A stepwise method was employed to select a subset of genes in the multivariable Cox model. Overrepresentation enrichment analysis (ORA) was used to search for the pathways associated with poor prognosis.

Results

In this study, we designed a seven-gene-signature-based Cox model to stratify the GC samples into high-risk and low-risk groups. The survival analysis revealed that the high-risk and low-risk groups exhibited significantly different prognostic outcomes in both the training and validation datasets. Specifically, CGB5, IGFBP1, OLFML2B, RAI14, SERPINE1, IQSEC2, and MPND were selected by the multivariable Cox model. Functionally, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) were found to be hyperactive in the high-risk group. The multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that the risk stratification based on the seven-gene-signature-based Cox model was independent of other prognostic factors such as TNM stages, age, and gender.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we aimed at developing a model to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer. The predictive model could not only effectively predict the risk of GC but also be beneficial to the development of therapeutic strategies.

IL-10 induces MC3T3-E1 cells differentiation towards osteoblastic fate in murine model

Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) displays well‐documented anti‐inflammatory effects, but its effects on osteoblast differentiation have not been investigated. In this study, we found IL‐10 negatively regulates microRNA‐7025‐5p (miR‐7025‐5p), the down‐regulation of which enhances osteoblast differentiation. Furthermore, through luciferase reporter assays, we found evidence that insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) is a miR‐7025‐5p target gene that positively regulates osteoblast differentiation. In vivo studies indicated that the pre‐injection of IL‐10 leads to increased bone formation, while agomiR‐7025‐5p injection delays fracture healing. Taken together, these results indicate that IL‐10 induces osteoblast differentiation via regulation of the miR‐7025‐5p/IGF1R axis. IL‐10 therefore represents a promising therapeutic strategy to promote fracture healing.

The role of Zeb1 in the pathogenesis of morbidly adherent placenta

Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (Zeb1) is a promoter of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, which may serve an important role in morbidly adherent placenta (MAP). In the present study, the protein expression levels of Zeb1 were examined in the placenta tissues of 60 patients, including 20 patients with placenta accreta (PA) and 20 patients with placenta previa without PA (UPA) and 20 patients in late pregnancy that delivered by cesarean section (normal). The expression levels of Zeb1, N-cadherin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2), and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-receptor 3 (TRAIL-R3) were higher in PA tissues compared with in normal control tissues. The expression levels of E-cadherin and TRAIL-R2 were decreased in PA tissues compared with in normal control tissues. These findings indicated that Zeb1 may serve an important role in placental attachment, thus promoting the development of dangerous PA. Overexpression of Zeb1 may upregulate the expression levels of N-cadherin, VEGF, TRAIL-R3, cyclin D1 and Bcl-2, and downregulate the expression levels of E-cadherin and TRAIL-R2. In addition, Zeb1 regulated the viability, apoptosis and migration of HTR-8/SV neo cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells by regulating the Akt pathway. In conclusion, these findings indicated that Zeb1 may promote placental implantation by activating the Akt signaling pathway, thus providing a theoretical basis for investigating the causes of MAP.