Biglycan enhances the ability of migration and invasion in endometrial cancer

Upregulation of CELSR1 expression promotes ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion

Cadherin epidermal growth factor and laminin-G seven-pass G-type receptor 1 (CELSR1) is a planar cell polarity protein involved in the transmission of directional cues to align either individual cells within an epithelial sheet or multicellular clusters. CELSR1 has been suggested to play a role in glioma, breast cancer, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia development; however, whether it has a role in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the role of CELSR1 in ovarian cancer and elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. By analyzing gene expression data downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas database, we found that CELSR1 expression was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues compared to that in normal ovarian tissues. High CELSR1 expression levels were associated with poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Cell proliferation, scratch, and transwell assays revealed that CELSR1 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. In addition, transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that CELSR1 knockdown in T29H cells resulted in the dysregulation of the expression of 1320 genes. Further analysis revealed that genes involved in proliferation- and migration-associated signaling pathways were regulated by CELSR1. Our study demonstrates that CELSR1 is highly expressed in ovarian cancer cells and regulates their proliferation and migration, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.

RUNX1 knockdown induced apoptosis and impaired EMT in high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic illnesses worldwide. High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a gynecological tumor that accounts for roughly 70% of ovarian cancer deaths in women. Runt-related transcription factor 1(RUNX1) proteins were identified with overexpression in the HGSOC. However, the roles of RUNX1 in the development of HGSOC are poorly understood. In this study, combined with whole-transcriptome analysis and multiple research methods, RUNX1 was identified as vital in developing HGSOC. RUNX1 knockdown inhibits the physiological function of ovarian cancer cells and regulates apoptosis through the FOXO1-Bcl2 axis. Down-regulated RUNX1 impairs EMT function through the EGFR-AKT-STAT3 axis signaling. In addition, RUNX1 knockdown can significantly increase the sensitivity to clinical drug therapy for ovarian cancer. It is strongly suggested that RUNX1 work as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for HGSOC patients with better prognoses and treatment options. It is possible to generate novel potential targeted therapy strategies and translational applications for serous ovarian carcinoma patients with better clinical outcomes.

The Landscape of Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycan Impact on Cancer Pathogenesis with a Focus on Biglycan and Lumican

Cancer development is a multifactorial procedure that involves changes in the cell microenvironment and specific modulations in cell functions. A tumor microenvironment contains tumor cells, non-malignant cells, blood vessels, cells of the immune system, stromal cells, and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are a family of nineteen proteoglycans, which are ubiquitously expressed among mammalian tissues and especially abundant in the ECM. SLRPs are divided into five canonical classes (classes I-III, containing fourteen members) and non-canonical classes (classes IV-V, including five members) based on their amino-acid structural sequence, chromosomal organization, and functional properties. Variations in both the protein core structure and glycosylation status lead to SLRP-specific interactions with cell membrane receptors, cytokines, growth factors, and structural ECM molecules. SLRPs have been implicated in the regulation of cancer growth, motility, and invasion, as well as in cancer-associated inflammation and autophagy, highlighting their crucial role in the processes of carcinogenesis. Except for the class I SLRP decorin, to which an anti-tumorigenic role has been attributed, other SLPRs' roles have not been fully clarified. This review will focus on the functions of the class I and II SLRP members biglycan and lumican, which are correlated to various aspects of cancer development.

Small leucine rich proteoglycans: Biology, function and their therapeutic potential in the ocular surface

Small leucine rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are the largest family of proteoglycans, with 18 members that are subdivided into five classes. SLRPs are small in size and can be present in tissues as glycosylated and non-glycosylated proteins, and the most studied SLRPs include decorin, biglycan, lumican, keratocan and fibromodulin. SLRPs specifically bind to collagen fibrils, regulating collagen fibrillogenesis and the biomechanical properties of tissues, and are expressed at particularly high levels in fibrous tissues, such as the cornea. However, SLRPs are also very active components of the ECM, interacting with numerous growth factors, cytokines and cell surface receptors. Therefore, SLRPs regulate major cellular processes and have a central role in major fundamental biological processes, such as maintaining corneal homeostasis and transparency and regulating corneal wound healing. Over the years, mutations and/or altered expression of SLRPs have been associated with various corneal diseases, such as congenital stromal corneal dystrophy and cornea plana. Recently, there has been great interest in harnessing the various functions of SLRPs for therapeutic purposes. In this comprehensive review, we describe the structural features and the related functions of SLRPs, and how these affect the therapeutic potential of SLRPs, with special emphasis on the use of SLRPs for treating ocular surface pathologies.

Unusual Suspects: Bone and Cartilage ECM Proteins as Carcinoma Facilitators

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the complex three-dimensional network of fibrous proteins and proteoglycans that constitutes an essential part of every tissue to provide support for normal tissue homeostasis. Tissue specificity of the ECM in its topology and structure supports unique biochemical and mechanical properties of each organ. Cancers, like normal tissues, require the ECM to maintain multiple processes governing tumor development, progression and spread. A large body of experimental and clinical evidence has now accumulated to demonstrate essential roles of numerous ECM components in all cancer types. Latest findings also suggest that multiple tumor types express, and use to their advantage, atypical ECM components that are not found in the cancer tissue of origin. However, the understanding of cancer-specific expression patterns of these ECM proteins and their exact roles in selected tumor types is still sketchy. In this review, we summarize the latest data on the aberrant expression of bone and cartilage ECM proteins in epithelial cancers and their specific functions in the pathogenesis of carcinomas and discuss future directions in exploring the utility of this selective group of ECM components as future drug targets.

Identification of BGN and THBS2 as metastasis-specific biomarkers and poor survival key regulators in human colon cancer by integrated analysis

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Exploring key regulators in colon cancer metastatic progression could lead to better outcomes for patients.

METHODS

Initially, the transcriptional profiles of 681 colonrectal cancer (CRC) cases were used to discover signature genes that were significantly correlated with colon cancer metastasis. These signature genes were then validated using another independent 210 CRC cases' transcriptomics and proteomics profiles, and Kaplan-Meier regression analyses were used to screen the key regulators with patients' survival. Immunohistochemical staining was used to confirm the biomarkers, and transit knockdown was used to explore their implications on colon cancer cells migration and invasion abilities. The impact on the key signalling molecules in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process that drive tumour metastasis was tested using Western blot. The response to clinical standard therapeutic drugs was compared to clinical prognosis of key regulators using an ROC plotter.

RESULTS

Five genes (BGN, THBS2, SPARC, CDH11 and SPP1) were initially identified as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of colon cancer metastasis. The most significant signatures associated with colon cancer metastasis were determined to be BGN and THBS2. Furthermore, highly expression of BGN and THBS2 in tumours was linked to a worse survival rate. BGN and THBS2 knockdown significantly reduced colon cancer cells migration and invasion, as well as down-regulating three EMT-related proteins (Snail, Vimentin and N-cadherin), and increasing the proliferation inhibitory effect of 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

CRC metastatic progression, EMT phenotypic transition and poor survival time have been linked to BGN and THBS2. They could be utilized as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for colon cancer metastatic patients with a better prognosis.

Expression and the Prognostic Value of Biglycan in Gastric Cancer

Background

Biglycan (BGN) is a family member of small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycans. High expression of BGN might enhance the invasion and metastasis in some types of tumors. Here, the prognostic significance of BGN was evaluated in gastric cancer. Material and Methods. Two independent Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) gastric cancer microarray datasets (n = 64 and n = 432) were collected for this study. Kaplan-Meier analysis was applied to evaluate if BGN impacts the outcomes of gastric cancer. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis was performed on gastric cancer-related genes and BGN targets, and those interactions with confidence interval (CI) ≥ 0.7 were chosen to construct a PPI network. The gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to explore BGN and cancer-related gene signatures. Gene Transcription Regulation Database (GTRD) and ALGGEN-PROMO predicted the transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) of the BGN promoter. BGN protein level in gastric cancer tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Bioinformatic analysis predicted the putative TFs of BGN.

Results

For gastric cancer, the mRNA expression level of BGN in tumor tissue was significantly higher than that in normal tissue. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that higher expression of BGN mRNA was significantly associated with more reduced recurrence-free survival (RFS). GSEA results suggested that BGN was significantly enriched in gene signatures related to metastasis and poor prognosis, revealing that BGN might be associated with cell proliferation, poor differentiation, and high invasiveness of gastric cancer. Meanwhile, the putative TFs, including AR, E2F1, and TCF4, were predicted by bioinformatic analysis and also significantly correlated with expression of BGN in mRNA levels.

Conclusion

High expression of BGN mRNA was significantly related to poor prognosis, which suggested that BGN was a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target of gastric cancer.

Chemotherapy-Induced Collagen IV Drives Cancer Cell Motility through Activation of Src and Focal Adhesion Kinase

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and deadly subtype of breast cancer, accounting for 30,000 cases annually in the United States. While there are several clinical trials ongoing to identify new agents to treat TNBC, the majority of patients with TNBC are treated with anthracycline- or taxane-based chemotherapies in the neoadjuvant setting, followed by surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. While many patients respond well to this approach, as many as 25% will suffer local or metastatic recurrence within 5 years. Understanding the mechanisms that drive recurrence after chemotherapy treatment is critical to improving survival for patients with TNBC. It is well established that the extracellular matrix (ECM), which provides structure and support to tissues, is a major driver of tumor growth, local invasion, and dissemination of cancer cells to distant metastatic sites. In the present study, we show that decellularized ECM (dECM) obtained from chemotherapy-treated mice increases motility of treatment-naïve breast cancer cells compared with vehicle-treated dECM. Tandem-mass-tag proteomics revealed that anthracycline- and taxane-based chemotherapies induce drug-specific changes in tumor ECM composition. The basement membrane protein collagen IV was significantly upregulated in the ECM of chemotherapy-treated mice and patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Collagen IV drove invasion via activation of Src and focal adhesion kinase signaling downstream of integrin α1 and α2, and inhibition of collagen IV-driven signaling decreased motility in chemotherapy-treated dECM. These studies provide a novel mechanism by which chemotherapy may induce metastasis via its effects on ECM composition.

SIGNIFICANCE

Cytotoxic chemotherapy induces significant changes in the composition of tumor ECM, inducing a more invasive and aggressive phenotype in residual tumor cells following chemotherapy.

BGN May be a Potential Prognostic Biomarker and Associated With Immune Cell Enrichment of Gastric Cancer

Background: Biglycan (BGN) plays a role in the occurrence and progression of several malignant tumors, though its role in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate BGN expression, its role in GC prognosis, and immune infiltration. Material and Methods: Gene expression data and corresponding clinical information were downloaded from TCGA and GTEx, respectively. We compared the expression of BGN in GC and normal tissues and verified the differential expression via Real-Time PCR and immunohistochemistry. BGN-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Additionally, the relationships between BGN gene expression and clinicopathological variables and survival in patients with GC were also investigated through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Finally, we established a predictive model that could well predict the probability of 1-, 3-, and 5-years survival in GC. Results: We found a significantly higher expression of BGN in GC than that in normal tissues (p < 0.001), which was verified by Real-Time PCR (p < 0.01) and immunohistochemistry (p < 0.001). The 492 identified DEGs were primarily enriched in pathways related to tumor genesis and metastasis, including extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, focal adhesion pathway, Wnt signaling, and signaling by VEGF. BGN expression was positively correlated with the enrichment of the NK cells (r = 0.620, p < 0.001) and macrophages (r = 0.550, p < 0.001), but negatively correlated with the enrichment of Th17 cells (r = 0.250, p < 0.001). BGN expression was also significantly correlated with histologic grade (GI&G2 vs. G3, p < 0.001), histologic type (Diffuse type vs. Tubular type, p < 0.001), histologic stage (stage I vs. stage II and stage I vs. stage III, p < 0.001), T stage (T1 vs. T2, T1 vs. T3, and T1 vs. T4, p < 0.001) and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection (yes vs. no, p < 0.05) in GC. High BGN expression showed significant association with poor overall survival (OS) in GC patients (HR = 1.53 (1.09-2.14), p = 0.013). The constructed nomogram can well predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-years overall survival probability of GC patients (C-index = 0.728). Conclusion: BGN plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of GC and is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of GC.

The Role of Decorin and Biglycan Signaling in Tumorigenesis

The complex and adaptive nature of malignant neoplasm constitute a major challenge for the development of effective anti-oncogenic therapies. Emerging evidence has uncovered the pivotal functions exerted by the small leucine-rich proteoglycans, decorin and biglycan, in affecting tumor growth and progression. In their soluble forms, decorin and biglycan act as powerful signaling molecules. By receptor-mediated signal transduction, both proteoglycans modulate key processes vital for tumor initiation and progression, such as autophagy, inflammation, cell-cycle, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Despite of their structural homology, these two proteoglycans interact with distinct cell surface receptors and thus modulate distinct signaling pathways that ultimately affect cancer development. In this review, we summarize growing evidence for the complex roles of decorin and biglycan signaling in tumor biology and address potential novel therapeutic implications.

Airway Fibroblast Secretory Products Enhance Cell Migration

Background:

The nasal fibroblast secretome, which includes various cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, promotes cell migration. Currently, the proteomics of airway fibroblast (AF) conditioned medium (AFCM) are being actively studied.

Objective:

This study was aimed at profiling and identifying the AF secreted proteins that can enhance wound healing of the airway epithelium and predict the potential pathway involved.

Methods:

Airway epithelial cells (AECs) and AFs were isolated from redundant human nasal turbinate and cultured. AFCM was collected by culturing the AFs either with serum-free airway epithelium basal medium (AECM) or with serum-free F12:DMEM (FDCM). For evaluating cell migration, the AECs were supplemented with airway epithelium medium and defined keratinocyte medium (1:1; AEDK; control), or with AEDK supplemented with 20% AECM or 20% FDCM. The mass spectrometry sample was prepared by protein precipitation, followed by gel electrophoresis and in-gel digestion.

Results :

AECM promoted better cell migration compared to the FDCM and the control medium. Bioinformatics analysis identified a total of 121, and 92 proteins from AECM and FDCM, respectively: 109 and 82 were identified as secreted proteins, respectively. STRING® analysis predicted that 23 proteins from the AECM and 16 proteins from the FDCM are involved in wound healing.

Conclusion:

Conditioned medium promotes wound healing by enhancing cell migration, and we successfully identified various secretory proteins in a conditioned medium that play important roles in wound healing.

Identification and Validation of Biglycan as Prognosis and Therapy Markers for Patients with Stomach Adenocarcinoma

Objective

Previous studies have confirmed the biglycan (BGN) as a core gene in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). Present study aimed at conducting further investigations to reveal the potential function of BGN in STAD.

Methods

The mRNA and protein expressions of BGN in STAD were firstly evaluated, followed by immune infiltration analyses. The influence of BGN expression on the overall survival of STAD patients was subsequently analyzed, and a restrict survival analysis was performed as well. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis on the co-expressed genes with BGN was finally adopted to obtain the most important module in the whole network, and significant Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway associated with hub genes within the main module was further predicted.

Results

(1) We verified the mRNA high expression of BGN in STAD (all P<0.05), and higher expression was observed in patients with stage 4 (P<0.001) and grade 3 (P<0.001). The BGN protein was mainly localized to the golgi apparatus, and protein expression displayed an individual difference. (2) Immune infiltration analysis showed the strongest correlation between BGN expression and abundance of natural killer cell (P<0.001), Transforming Growth Factor beta 1 (TGFB1) (P<0.001), TNF Receptor Superfamily Member 4 (TNFRSF4) (P<0.001) and C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 12 (CXCL12) (P<0.001) in STAD. BGN expression was also correlated to immune subtypes (P=0.0347) and molecular subtypes (P=0.0263) in STAD. (3) High expression of BGN shortened the overall survival time of STAD patients (all P<0.01). The influence of BGN expression on the prognosis was statistically affected by several clinical phenotypes and cohorts of patients. Cox regression showed that BGN can be considered as a prognostic predictor of STAD (P<0.05). (4) Pathway analysis indicated that BGN possibly participated in ECM–receptor interaction, focal adhesion, human papillomavirus infection and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway (all P<0.001).

Conclusion

BGN was highly expressed in STAD, implying a poor prognosis of patients. Relevant signal pathways associated with BGN were distinguished as well. BGN could be used as a potential therapeutic biomarker for STAD.

The Extracellular Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycan Biglycan Is a Key Player in Gastric Cancer Aggressiveness

Simple Summary

Approximately 80% of gastric cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages with an average five-year survival rate of less than 30%. Alterations of the extracellular matrix proteins have been largely demonstrated in all steps of the disease. Thus, studies for the identification of novel prognostic biomarkers and efficient therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In this study, we report the oncogenic role of biglycan, an extracellular proteoglycan, in gastric carcinogenesis. Biglycan was able to modulate gastric cancer aggressive features as cell survival, migration, and angiogenesis. Additionally, high levels of biglycan expression correlates with tumorigenic gene signatures and they are associated with poor patient prognosis in advanced stages of the disease. These results point biglycan as a key player in gastric cancer aggressiveness and further studies should be done to investigate the therapeutic potential of biglycan to tackle gastric cancer progression.

Abstract

Biglycan (BGN gene), an extracellular proteoglycan, has been described to be associated with cancer aggressiveness. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical value of biglycan as a biomarker in multiple independent GC cohorts and determine the in vitro and in vivo role of biglycan in GC malignant features. We found that BGN is commonly over-expressed in all analyzed cohorts, being associated with disease relapse and poor prognosis in patients with advanced stages of disease. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that biglycan knock-out GC cells display major phenotypic changes with a lower cell survival, migration, and angiogenic potential when compared with biglycan expressing cells. Biglycan KO GC cells present increased levels of PARP1 and caspase-3 cleavage and a decreased expression of mesenchymal markers. Importantly, biglycan deficient GC cells that were supplemented with exogenous biglycan were able to restore biological features, such as survival, clonogenic and migratory capacities. Our in vitro and in vivo findings were validated in human GC samples, where BGN expression was associated with several oncogenic gene signatures that were associated with apoptosis, cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. This study provided new insights on biglycan role in GC that should be taken in consideration as a key cellular regulator with major impact in tumor progression and patients’ clinical outcome.

Biglycan expression and its function in human ligamentum flavum

Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum (LF) is a major cause of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), and the pathology involves disruption of elastic fibers, fibrosis with increased cellularity and collagens, and/or calcification. Previous studies have implicated the increased expression of the proteoglycan family in hypertrophied LF. Furthermore, the gene expression profile in a rabbit experimental model of LF hypertrophy revealed that biglycan (BGN) is upregulated in hypertrophied LF by mechanical stress. However, the expression and function of BGN in human LF has not been well elucidated. To investigate the involvement of BGN in the pathomechanism of human ligamentum hypertrophy, first we confirmed increased expression of BGN by immunohistochemistry in the extracellular matrix of hypertrophied LF of LSS patients compared to LF without hypertrophy. Experiments using primary cell cultures revealed that BGN promoted cell proliferation. Furthermore, BGN induces changes in cell morphology and promotes myofibroblastic differentiation and cell migration. These effects are observed for both cells from hypertrophied and non-hypertrophied LF. The present study revealed hyper-expression of BGN in hypertrophied LF and function of increased proteoglycan in LF cells. BGN may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of LF hypertrophy through cell proliferation, myofibroblastic differentiation, and cell migration.

lncRNA LINC00460 Functions as a Competing Endogenous RNA and Regulates Expression of BGN by Sponging miR-149-5p in Colorectal Cancer

Background and Aim:

There are an increasing number of studies indicating the important roles served by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of different types of cancer. LINC00460 is a novel identified lncRNA that was found to be upregulated in colorectal cancer. However, the biological roles of LINC00460 in colorectal cancer have yet to be fully elucidated. This study was aimed to investigate the functions and molecular mechanisms of LINC00460 on colorectal cancer metastasis.

Methods:

Expression of LINC00460 and biglycan (BGN) in colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines were quantified by real time PCR or western blotting assay. Cell migration and invasion assays were performed to determine the effect of LINC00460 on tumor metastasis in vitro. The binding interaction between microRNA-149-5p and LINC00460 was revealed by luciferase reporter assay.

Results:

In the present study, lncRNA LINC00460 was shown to be upregulated in colorectal cancer tissues, and overexpression of LINC00460 significantly promoted metastasis of colorectal cancer in vitro. Furthermore, miR-149-5p interacted with LINC00460, and they negatively regulated expression of each other. Transfection of miR-149-5p mimics partially counteracted the tumor metastasis-promoting effects induced by LINC00460 overexpression. Finally, overexpression of LINC00460 upregulated the expression levels of biglycan, a target gene of miR-149-5p, which has also been identified as an oncogenic driver in colorectal cancer.

Conclusion:

Taken together, the present study demonstrated that LINC00460 promoted metastasis of CRC by sponging miR-149-5p and thereby affecting biglycan expression levels.

BGN and COL11A1 Regulatory Network Analysis in Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Reveals That BGN Influences CRC Cell Biological Functions and Interacts with miR-6828-5p

Purpose

We explored specific expression profiles of BGN and COL11A1 genes and studied their biological functions in CRC using bioinformatics tools.

Patients and Methods

A total of 68 pairs of cancer and non-cancerous tissues from CRC patients were enrolled in this study. Methods we used in this articles including: qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, ELISA, GO and KEGG regulatory network analysis, tumor infiltration, luciferase reporter-based protein and etc.

Results

According to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, BGN and COL11A1 expression levels were significantly higher in CRC patient samples than in samples from healthy controls. Moreover, levels were much higher in late-stage CRC than in early-stage disease, warranting evaluation of these genes as CRC prognostic biomarkers. Subsequently, qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and ELISA results obtained from analyses of CRC cells, tissues, and patient sera aligned with TCGA results. GO and KEGG regulatory network analysis revealed BGN- and COL11A1-associated genes that were functionally related to extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor pathway activation, with transcription factor genes RELA and NFKB1 positively associated with BGN expression and CEBPZ and SIRT1 with COL11A1 expression. Meanwhile, BGN and COL11A1 expression were separately and significantly correlated to tumor infiltration by six immune cell types. Additionally, kinase genes PLK1 and LYN appeared to be downstream targets of differentially expressed BGN and COL11A1, respectively. In addition, the expression of PLK1 mRNA was down-regulated while BGN was down-regulated. Finally, BGN effects on CRC cell proliferation, cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were studied using molecular biological methods, including luciferase reporter-based protein analysis, qRT-PCR, and Western blot results, which revealed that miR-6828-5p may regulate BGN expression.

Conclusion

We speculate that the use of BGN and COL11A1 as CRC biomarkers would improve CRC staging, while also providing several novel targets for use in the development of more effective CRC treatments.

Identification and Validation of Potential Pathogenic Genes and Prognostic Markers in ESCC by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most fatal malignancies of the digestive tract, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are not known. We aim to identify the genes involved in ESCC carcinogenesis and discover potential prognostic markers using integrated bioinformatics analysis. Three pairs of ESCC tissues and paired normal tissues were sequenced by high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Integrated bioinformatics analysis was used to identify differentially expressed coding genes (DECGs) and differentially expressed long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes (DELGs). A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DECGs was established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) website and visualized with Cytoscape. Survival analysis was conducted by log-rank tests to identify "hub" genes with potential prognostic value, and real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to assess expression of these genes in ESCC tissues. Transwell^TM assays were employed to examine the migration ability of cells after knockdown of LINC01614 expression, followed by investigation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by western blotting (WB). A total of 106 upregulated genes and 42 downregulated genes were screened out from the ESCC data sets. Survival analysis showed two hub protein-coding genes with higher expression in module 1 of the PPI network (SPP1 and BGN) and another three upregulated lncRNAs (LINC01614, LINC01415, NKILA) that were associated with a poor prognosis. High expression of SPP1, BGN, LINC01614, and LINC01415 in tumor samples was validated further by RT-qPCR. In vitro experiments show that knockdown of LINC01614 expression could significantly inhibit the migration of ESCC cells by regulating EMT, which was confirmed by WB. These results indicate that BGN, SPP1, LINC01614, and LINC01415 might be critical genes in ESCC and potential prognostic biomarkers.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Key Genes and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with morbidity and mortality ranking second among all cancers. Accumulating evidences indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closely correlated with tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms of circRNAs still remain unclear. This study is aimed at determining hub genes and circRNAs and analyzing their potential biological functions in GC. Expression profiles of mRNAs and circRNAs were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets of GC and paracancer tissues. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs) were identified. The target miRNAs of DE-circRNAs and the bidirectional interaction between target miRNAs and DEGs were predicted. Functional analysis was performed, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network were established. A total of 456 DEGs and 2 DE-circRNAs were identified with 3 mRNA expression profiles and 2 circRNA expression profiles. GO analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix and cell adhesion, and KEGG confirmed that DEGs were mainly associated with focal adhesion, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, extracellular matrix- (ECM)- receptor interaction, and gastric acid secretion. 15 hub DEGs (BGN, COL1A1, COL1A2, FBN1, FN1, SPARC, SPP1, TIMP1, UBE2C, CCNB1, CD44, CXCL8, COL3A1, COL5A2, and THBS1) were identified from the PPI network. Furthermore, the survival analysis indicate that GC patients with a high expression of the following 9 hub DEGs, namely, BGN, COL1A1, COL1A2, FBN1, FN1, SPARC, SPP1, TIMP1, and UBE2C, had significantly worse overall survival. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed based on 1 circRNA, 15 miRNAs, and 45 DEGs. In addition, the 45 DEGs included 5 hub DEGs. These results suggested that hub DEGs and circRNAs could be implicated in the pathogenesis and development of GC. Our findings provide novel evidence on the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network and lay the foundation for future research of circRNAs in GC.

Roles of Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans in Cancer Development and Progression

The extracellular matrix (ECM) spatiotemporally controls cell fate; however, dysregulation of ECM remodeling can lead to tumorigenesis and cancer development by providing favorable conditions for tumor cells. Proteoglycans (PGs) and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are the major macromolecules composing ECM. They influence both cell behavior and matrix properties through direct and indirect interactions with various cytokines, growth factors, cell surface receptors, adhesion molecules, enzymes, and glycoproteins within the ECM. The classical features of PGs/GAGs play well-known roles in cancer angiogenesis, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Several lines of evidence suggest that PGs/GAGs critically affect broader aspects in cancer initiation and the progression process, including regulation of cell metabolism, serving as a sensor of ECM's mechanical properties, affecting immune supervision, and participating in therapeutic resistance to various forms of treatment. These functions may be implemented through the characteristics of PGs/GAGs as molecular bridges linking ECM and cells in cell-specific and context-specific manners within the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review, we intend to present a comprehensive illustration of the ways in which PGs/GAGs participate in and regulate several aspects of tumorigenesis; we put forward a perspective regarding their effects as biomarkers or targets for diagnoses and therapeutic interventions.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer through production of biglycan-rich cancer stroma

High morbidity and mortality of cancer, especially colorectal cancer (CRC), in diabetic patients have been reported. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the presence of diabetes mellitus (blood hemoglobin A1C was 6.5% or higher at the time of diagnosis of CRC) and the progression and liver metastasis of CRC. Histopathological findings in the primary lesions, which were preferential to diabetes-complicated CRC (DM-CRC) and the liver metastasis, were also investigated. Of the 473 CRC patients who underwent curative surgical resection, 148 (31%) had diabetes. In DM-CRC cases, the stage was more advanced, with more cases in stage IV or postoperative disease recurrence. Histopathological findings correlated with liver metastasis in DM-CRC, including budding grade, perineural invasion, and myxomatous tumor stroma, and all were highly correlated with the stage. Additionally, myxomatous stroma showed the strongest correlation with liver metastasis in multivariate analysis. Myxomatous stroma in stage III cases correlated with liver recurrence. The myxomatous stroma was abundant in biglycan protein and contained numerous CD90-positive mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In human colon cancer cell line HT29, biglycan expression was induced by high sugar concentration, fatty acids, and insulin, and its contact co-culture with MSCs resulted in enhanced stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype. Thus, DM-CRC has higher malignant phenotypes compared to non-DM-CRC, and the involvement of diabetes-induced biglycan may act as a pathogenic factor.

Danger matrix molecules orchestrate CD14/CD44 signaling in cancer development

The tumor matrix together with inflammation and autophagy are crucial regulators of cancer development. Embedded in the tumor stroma are numerous proteoglycans which, in their soluble form, act as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). By interacting with innate immune receptors, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), DAMPs autonomously trigger aseptic inflammation and can regulate autophagy. Biglycan, a known danger proteoglycan, can regulate the cross-talk between inflammation and autophagy by evoking a switch between pro-inflammatory CD14 and pro-autophagic CD44 co-receptors for TLRs. Thus, these novel mechanistic insights provide some explanation for the plethora of reports indicating that the same matrix-derived DAMP acts either as a promoter or suppressor of tumor growth. In this review we will summarize and critically discuss the role of the matrix-derived DAMPs biglycan, hyaluronan, and versican in regulating the TLR-, CD14- and CD44-signaling dialogue between inflammation and autophagy with particular emphasis on cancer development.

Computational analysis for identification of the extracellular matrix molecules involved in endometrial cancer progression

Recurrence and poorly differentiated (grade 3 and above) and atypical cell type endometrial cancer (EC) have poor prognosis outcome. The mechanisms and characteristics of recurrence and distal metastasis of EC remain unclear. The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the reproductive tract in women undergoes extensive structural remodelling changes every month. Altered ECMs surrounding cells were believed to play crucial roles in a cancer progression. To decipher the associations between ECM and EC development, we generated a PAN-ECM Data list of 1516 genes including ECM molecules (ECMs), synthetic and degradation enzymes for ECMs, ECM receptors, and soluble molecules that regulate ECM and used RNA-Seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) for the studies. The alterations of PAN-ECM genes by comparing the RNA-Seq expressions profiles of EC samples which have been grouped as tumorigenesis and metastasis group based on their pathological grading were identified. Differential analyses including functional enrichment, co-expression network, and molecular network analysis were carried out to identify the specific PAN-ECM genes that may involve in the progression of EC. Eight hundred and thirty-one and 241 PAN-ECM genes were significantly involved in tumorigenesis (p-value <1.571e-15) and metastasis (p-value <2.2e-16), respectively, whereas 140 genes were in the intersection of tumorigenesis and metastasis. Interestingly, 92 of the 140 intersecting PAN-ECM genes showed contrasting fold changes between the tumorigenesis and metastasis datasets. Enrichment analysis for the contrast PAN-ECM genes indicated pathways such as GP6 signaling, ILK signaling, and interleukin (IL)-8 signaling pathways were activated in metastasis but inhibited in tumorigenesis. The significantly activated ECM and ECM associated genes in GP6 signaling, ILK signaling, and interleukin (IL)-8 signaling pathways may play crucial roles in metastasis of EC. Our study provides a better understanding of the etiology and the progression of EC.

Multifaceted Roles of Asporin in Cancer: Current Understanding

The small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) family consists of 18 members categorized into five distinct classes, the traditional classes I–III, and the non-canonical classes IV–V. Unlike the other class I SLRPs (decorin and biglycan), asporin contains a unique and conserved stretch of aspartate (D) residues in its N terminus, and germline polymorphisms in the D-repeat-length are associated with osteoarthritis and prostate cancer progression. Since the first discovery of asporin in 2001, previous studies have focused mainly on its roles in bone and joint diseases, including osteoarthritis, intervertebral disc degeneration and periodontal ligament mineralization. Recently, asporin gene expression was also reported to be dysregulated in tumor tissues of different types of cancer, and to act as oncogene in pancreatic, colorectal, gastric, and prostate cancers, and some types of breast cancer, though it is also reported to function as a tumor suppressor gene in triple-negative breast cancer. Furthermore, asporin is also positively or negatively correlated with tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, and patient prognosis through its regulation of different signaling pathways, including the TGF-β, EGFR, and CD44 pathways. In this review, we seek to elucidate the signaling pathways and functions regulated by asporin in different types of cancer and to highlight some important issues that require investigation in future research.

Identification of prognosis markers for endometrial cancer by integrated analysis of DNA methylation and RNA-Seq data

Endometrial cancer is highly malignant and has a poor prognosis in the advanced stage, thus, prediction of its prognosis is important. DNA methylation has rapidly gained clinical attention as a biomarker for diagnostic, prognostic and predictive purposes in various cancers. In present study, differentially methylated positions and differentially expressed genes were identified according to DNA methylation and RNA-Seq data. Functional analyses and interaction network were performed to identify hub genes, and overall survival analysis of hub genes were validated. The top genes were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of endometrial cancer tissues. The gene function was evaluated by cell growth curve after knockdown CDC20 and CCNA2 of endometrial cancer cell line. A total of 329 hypomethylated highly expressed genes and 359 hypermethylated lowly expressed genes were identified, and four hub genes were obtained according to the interaction network. Patients with low expression of CDC20 and CCNA2 showed better overall survival. The results also were demonstrated by the immunohistochemical staining. Cell growth curve also demonstrated that knockdown CDC20 and CCNA2 can suppress the cell proliferation. We have identified two aberrantly methylated genes, CDC20 and CCNA2 as novel biomarkers for precision diagnosis in EC.

Small Leucine Rich Proteoglycans (decorin, biglycan and lumican) in cancer

The extracellular matrix (ECM) prevents invasion of tumour cells and possesses an intrinsic mechanism to down-regulate signalling processes that promote cancer proliferation. Small Leucine Rich Proteoglycans (SLRPs) are ubiquitous ECM components involved in matrix structural organization and as such can potentially regulate cancer cell multiplication, angiogenesis and migration. Decorin, a class I SLRP that modulates collagen fibrillogenesis, also functions as a natural pan-tyrosine kinase inhibitor to reduce tumour growth. In fact, decreased decorin expression has been associated with tumour aggressiveness and lower survival. In contrast, biglycan, another class I SLRP, was highly expressed in cancer and was associated with metastatic activity and lower survival. Tissue expression of lumican, a class II SLRP, was associated with clinical outcome and appears tumour specific. Recently, decorin, biglycan and lumican were found to be potential biomarkers in bladder cancer. This review updates our current understanding on the molecular interplay and significance of decorin, biglycan and lumican expression in cancer.

Biglycan expression in the melanoma microenvironment promotes invasiveness via increased tissue stiffness inducing integrin-β1 expression

Novel targeted and immunotherapeutic approaches have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma. A better understanding of the melanoma-microenvironment, in particular the interaction of cells with extracellular matrix molecules, may help to further improve these new therapeutic strategies.We observed that the extracellular matrix molecule biglycan (Bgn) was expressed in certain human melanoma cells and primary fibroblasts when evaluated by microarray-based gene expression analysis. Bgn expression in the melanoma tissues correlated with low overall-survival and low progression-free-survival in patients. To understand the functional role of Bgn we used gene-targeted mice lacking functional Bgn. Here we observed that melanoma growth, metastasis-formation and tumor-related death were reduced in Bgn-/- mice compared to Bgn+/+ mice. In vitro invasion of melanoma cells into organotypic-matrices derived from Bgn-/- fibroblasts was reduced compared to melanoma invasion into Bgn-proficient matrices. Tissue stiffness as determined by atomic-force-microscopy was reduced in Bgn-/- matrices. Isolation of melanoma cells and fibroblasts from the stiffer Bgn+/+ matrices revealed an increase in integrin-β1 expression compared to the Bgn-/- fibroblast matrices. Overexpression of integrin-β1 in B16-melanoma cells abolished the survival benefit seen in Bgn-/- mice. Consistent with the studies performed in mice, the abundance of Bgn-expression in human melanoma samples positively correlated with the expression of integrin-β1, which is in agreement with results from the organotypic invasion-assay and the in vivo mouse studies.This study describes a novel role for Bgn-related tissue stiffness in the melanoma-microenvironment via regulation of integrin-β1 expression by melanoma cells in both mice and humans.

Integrated analysis of genes associated with poor prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignances in the gut. Liver is the most common metastasis site of CRC. This study focuses on the primary CRC and its liver metastasis, aiming to discover several liver metastasis related genes and provide therapeutic candidates. We compared gene expression patterns among the groups of normal colorectal mucosa, primary tumor and the liver metastasis using a CRC gene expression dataset. 84 genes were found to be upregulated in both primary tumor and liver metastases. Function enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are enriched in pathways such as chemotaxis, coagulation and lipid metabolism which are crucial in multi-step cancer metastasis. Gene network analysis identified several important hub genes that may be involved in carcinogenesis and liver metastasis. Then we used a validation dataset containing 562 CRC samples with detailed clinical information, to screen prognostic biomarkers for overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS). Finally, overexpression of THBS2 (thrombospondin 2), INHBB (inhibin, beta B) and BGN (biglycan) were proved to be correlated with poor OS and RFS. In conclusion, this study indicated that chemotaxis, coagulation and lipid metabolism might play critical roles in the processes of carcinogenesis and liver metastasis. THBS2, INHBB and BGN are prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for CRC.

Biglycan-mediated upregulation of MHC class I expression in HER-2/neu-transformed cells

The extracellular matrix protein biglycan (BGN) has oncogenic or tumor suppressive potential depending on the cellular origin. HER-2/neu overexpression in murine fibroblasts and human model systems is inversely correlated with BGN expression. Upon its restoration BGN^high HER-2/neu⁺ fibroblasts were less tumorigenic in immune competent mice when compared to BGN^low/neg HER-2/neu⁺ cells, which was associated with enhanced immune cell responses and higher frequencies of immune effector cells in tumors and peripheral blood. The increased immunogenicity of BGN^high HER-2/neu⁺ fibroblasts appears to be due to upregulated MHC class I surface antigens and reduced expression levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β isoforms and the TGF-β receptor 1 suggesting a link between BGN, TGF-β pathway and HER-2/neu-mediated downregulation of MHC class I antigens. Treatment of BGN^low/neg HER-2/neu⁺ cells with recombinant BGN or an inhibitor of TGF-β enhanced MHC class I surface antigens in BGN^low/neg HER-2/neu-overexpressing murine fibroblasts, which was mediated by a transcriptional upregulation of major MHC class I antigen processing components. Furthermore, BGN expression in HER-2/neu⁺ cells was accompanied by an increased expression of the proteoglycan decorin (DCN). Since recombinant DCN also elevated MHC class I surface expression in BGN^low/neg HER-2/neu⁺ cells, both proteoglycans might act synergistically. This was in accordance with in silico analyses of mRNA data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset available for breast cancer (BC) patients. Thus, our data provide for the first time evidence that proteoglycan signatures are modulated by HER-2/neu and linked to MHC class I-mediated immune escape associated with an altered TGF-β pathway.

Proteoglycans remodeling in cancer: Underlying molecular mechanisms

Extracellular matrix is a highly dynamic macromolecular network. Proteoglycans are major components of extracellular matrix playing key roles in its structural organization and cell signaling contributing to the control of numerous normal and pathological processes. As multifunctional molecules, proteoglycans participate in various cell functions during morphogenesis, wound healing, inflammation and tumorigenesis. Their interactions with matrix effectors, cell surface receptors and enzymes enable them with unique properties. In malignancy, extensive remodeling of tumor stroma is associated with marked alterations in proteoglycans' expression and structural variability. Proteoglycans exert diverse functions in tumor stroma in a cell-specific and context-specific manner and they mainly contribute to the formation of a permissive provisional matrix for tumor growth affecting tissue organization, cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and tumor cell signaling. Proteoglycans also modulate cancer cell phenotype and properties, the development of drug resistance and tumor stroma angiogenesis. This review summarizes the proteoglycans remodeling and their novel biological roles in malignancies with particular emphasis to the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Up-regulation of Biglycan is Associated with Poor Prognosis and PTEN Deletion in Patients with Prostate Cancer

Biglycan (BGN), a proteoglycan of the extracellular matrix, is included in mRNA signatures for prostate cancer aggressiveness. To understand the impact of BGN on prognosis and its relationship to molecularly defined subsets, we analyzed BGN expression by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 12,427 prostate cancers. Seventy-eight percent of 11,050 interpretable cancers showed BGN expression, which was considered as low intensity in 47.7% and as high intensity in 31.1% of cancers. BGN protein expression rose with increasing pathological tumor stage, Gleason grade, lymph node metastasis and early PSA recurrence (P<.0001 each). Comparison with our molecular database attached to the TMA revealed that BGN expression was linked to presence of TMPRRS2:ERG fusion and PTEN deletion (P<.0001 each). In addition, BGN was strongly linked to androgen-receptor (AR) levels (P<.0001), suggesting a hormone-depending regulation of BGN. BGN up-regulation is a frequent feature of prostate cancer that parallels tumor progression and may be useful to estimate tumor aggressiveness particularly if combined with other molecular markers.

The integrated pathway of TGFβ/Snail with TNFα/NFκB may facilitate the tumor-stroma interaction in the EMT process and colorectal cancer prognosis

Substantial evidence has shown that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays critical roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and prognosis. To uncover the pivotal regulators that function in the cooperative interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment and consequently affect the EMT process, we carried out a systematic analysis and evaluated prognosis in CRC specimens. Tumor buds and their surrounding stroma were captured using laser microdissection. We used gene expression profiling, bioinformatics analysis and regulatory network construction for molecular selection. The clinical significance of potential biomarkers was investigated. We identified potential EMT biomarkers, including BGN, MMP1, LGALS1, SERPINB5, and TM4SF4, all of which participated in the integrated pathway of TGFβ/Snail with TNFα/NFκB. We also found that BGN, MMP1, LGALS1, SERPINB5 and TM4SF4 were related to CRC patient prognosis. Patients with higher expression of these individual potential biomarkers had poorer prognosis. Among the identified biomarkers, BGN and TM4SF4 are reported, for the first time, to probably be involved in the EMT process and to predict CRC prognosis. Our results strongly suggest that the integrated pathway of TGFβ/Snail with TNFα/NFκB may be the principal axis that links cancer cells to their microenvironment during the EMT process and results in poor prognosis in CRC patients.

Human Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma and Decorin

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare subtype of invasive breast cancer and has poor prognosis. In general, cancers are heterogeneous cellular masses comprised of different cell types and their extracellular matrix (ECM). However, little is known about the composition of the ECM and its constituents in MBC. Decorin is a ubiquitous ECM macromolecule known of its oncosuppressive activity. As such, it provides an intriguing molecule in the development of novel therapeutics for different malignancies such as MBC. In this study, decorin immunoreactivity and the effect of adenoviral decorin cDNA (Ad-DCN) transduction were examined in MBC. Multiple immunohistochemical stainings were used to characterize a massive breast tumour derived from an old woman. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) explant cultures derived from the tumour were transduced with Ad-DCN to study the effect of the transduction on the explants. The MBC tumour was shown to be completely negative for decorin immunoreactivity demonstrating that the malignant cells were not able to synthesize decorin. Ad-DCN transduction resulted in a markedly altered cytological phenotype of MBC explants by decreasing the amount of atypical cells and by inhibiting cell proliferation. The results of this study support approaches to develop new, decorin-based adjuvant therapies for MBC.

The role of the SDF-1/ CXCR7 axis on the growth and invasion ability of endometrial cancer cells

PURPOSE

Stroma-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) are involved in human endometrial carcinoma (EC) progression. CXCR7 is another important receptor of SDF-1 and has a higher affinity with SDF-1 compared with that of CXCR4. This paper aims to study the effects of the SDF-1/CXCR7 axis on the growth and invasion ability of EC cells.

METHODS

CXCR7 expression was evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting in EC cell lines and 30 cases of primary EC tissue from patients. EC cell line proliferation and migration were assessed following knockdown of CXCR7 by MTT and transwell assays.

RESULTS

The results showed that CXCR7 was highly expressed at both mRNA and protein levels in the EC cells and tissue. siCXCR7 effectively silenced CXCR7 in Ishikawa and AN3CA cells. Treatment with 17β-oestradiol (17β-E2) significantly increased the levels of CXCR7 and SDF-1 in Con, siCon and siCXCR7 treated Ishikawa. siCXCR7 persistently inhibited CXCR7 expression, even in cells treated with 17β-E2. Moreover, in vitro functional analyses, silencing CXCR7 resulted in decreased proliferation in Ishikawa and AN3CA cells. Treatment with 17β-E2 and SDF-1 significantly promoted the growth and migration in siCon treated Ishikawa and AN3CA. Interestingly, in response to 17β-E2 and SDF-1 stimulation, siCXCR7 continuously inhibited the growth and invasion of Ishikawa and AN3CA cells.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that SDF-1/CXCR7 plays a positive role in the proliferation and invasion of EC cells. CXCR7 inhibition treatment may provide a promising strategy for anti-tumour therapy for EC.

The expression of MYH9 in osteosarcoma and its effect on the migration and invasion abilities of tumor cell

OBJECTIVE

To determine the expression of non-muscle myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) in osteosarcoma and its effect on the migration and invasion abilities of tumor cell.

METHODS

A total of 65 cases of osteosarcoma and 20 cases with benign osteochondroma who underwent resection operation in the Orthopaedics Department of our hospital from January 1st 2009 to January 1st 2015 were selected. Their mRNA levels of MYH9 were tested by qrt-PCR. Immunohistochemical method was used to examine the expression of MYH9 in osteosarcoma and the correlation between the positive expression of MYH9 and the clinicopathological features of patients was illustrated by statistical analysis. MYH9 was compounded artificially. The expression of MYH9 in SAOS2 osteosarcoma cells was decreased by siRNA. Scratch test was used to determine the change of SAOS2 cell migration ability after MYH9 silence. Transwell assay was employed to detect the change of cell invasion ability after MYH9 silence.

RESULTS

The expression levels of mRNA of MYH9 and protein in osteosarcoma tissues were significantly higher than those in benign osteochondroma tissues. The high expression of MYH9 in osteosarcoma tissues was apparently related to the high Enneking classification (III classification) and lung metastasis. SiRNA of MYH9 could evidently decrease the expression level of MYH9 in SAOS2. The down-regulated expression of MYH9 could inhibit the migration and invasion abilities of SAOS2 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MYH9 shows a trend of high expression in osteosarcoma tissues, and its high expression is associated with features such as tumor invasion and metastasis. The down-regulated MYH9 can realize an anti-tumor effect by inhibiting the migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells.