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Chu X, Tian W, Ning J, Xiao G, Zhou Y, Wang Z, Zhai Z, Tanzhu G, Yang J, Zhou R. Cancer stem cells: advances in knowledge and implications for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:170. [PMID: 38965243 PMCID: PMC11224386 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01851-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of cells in tumors that are characterized by self-renewal and continuous proliferation, lead to tumorigenesis, metastasis, and maintain tumor heterogeneity. Cancer continues to be a significant global disease burden. In the past, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were the main cancer treatments. The technology of cancer treatments continues to develop and advance, and the emergence of targeted therapy, and immunotherapy provides more options for patients to a certain extent. However, the limitations of efficacy and treatment resistance are still inevitable. Our review begins with a brief introduction of the historical discoveries, original hypotheses, and pathways that regulate CSCs, such as WNT/β-Catenin, hedgehog, Notch, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, TGF-β, PI3K/AKT, PPAR pathway, and their crosstalk. We focus on the role of CSCs in various therapeutic outcomes and resistance, including how the treatments affect the content of CSCs and the alteration of related molecules, CSCs-mediated therapeutic resistance, and the clinical value of targeting CSCs in patients with refractory, progressed or advanced tumors. In summary, CSCs affect therapeutic efficacy, and the treatment method of targeting CSCs is still difficult to determine. Clarifying regulatory mechanisms and targeting biomarkers of CSCs is currently the mainstream idea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjing Chu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Wentao Tian
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jiaoyang Ning
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Gang Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yunqi Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhuofan Zhai
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Guilong Tanzhu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Rongrong Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- Xiangya Lung Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China.
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Li J, Han T, Yang J, Wang X, Wang Y, Yang R, Yang Q. Identification of immunotherapy-related subtypes, characterization of tumor microenvironment infiltration, and development of a prognostic signature in gastric carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:11185-11207. [PMID: 39074262 PMCID: PMC11315391 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent advances in immunotherapy have elicited a considerable amount of attention as viable therapeutic options for several cancer types, the present study aimed to explore the immunotherapy-related genes (IRGs) and develop a prognostic risk signature in gastric carcinoma (GC) based on these genes. METHODS IRGs were identified by comparing immunotherapy responders and non-responders in GC. Then, GC patients were divided into distinct subtypes by unsupervised clustering method based on IRGs, and the differences in immune characteristics and prognostic stratification between these subtypes were analyzed. An immunotherapy-related risk score (IRRS) signature was developed and validated for risk classification and prognosis prediction based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts. Besides, the predictive ability of the IRRS in immunotherapy response was also determined. RESULTS A total of 63 IRGs were identified, and 371 GC patients were stratified into two molecular subgroups with significantly different prognosis and immune characteristics. Then, an IRRS signature comprised of three IRGs (CENP8, NRP1, and SERPINE1) was constructed to predict the prognosis of GC patients in TCGA cohort. Importantly, external validation in multiple GEO cohorts further confirmed the universal applicability of the IRRS in distinct populations. Furthermore, we found that the IRRS was significantly correlated with patient's responsiveness to immunotherapy, GC patients with low IRRS are more likely to benefit from existing immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS The risk score could serve as a robust prognostic biomarker, provide therapeutic benefits for immunotherapy and may be helpful for clinical decision making in GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxin Li
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Ting Han
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Jieyi Yang
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Yinchun Wang
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
| | - Qingqiang Yang
- Department of General Surgery (Gastrointestinal Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P.R. China
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Wang C, Yao S, Zhang T, Sun X, Bai C, Zhou P. RNA N6-Methyladenosine Modification in DNA Damage Response and Cancer Radiotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2597. [PMID: 38473842 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The N6-methyladenosine (M6A) modification is the most common internal chemical modification of RNA molecules in eukaryotes. This modification can affect mRNA metabolism, regulate RNA transcription, nuclear export, splicing, degradation, and translation, and significantly impact various aspects of physiology and pathobiology. Radiotherapy is the most common method of tumor treatment. Different intrinsic cellular mechanisms affect the response of cells to ionizing radiation (IR) and the effectiveness of cancer radiotherapy. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent advances in understanding the roles and mechanisms of RNA M6A methylation in cellular responses to radiation-induced DNA damage and in determining the outcomes of cancer radiotherapy. Insights into RNA M6A methylation in radiation biology may facilitate the improvement of therapeutic strategies for cancer radiotherapy and radioprotection of normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Wang
- College of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Shibo Yao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Tinghui Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xiaoya Sun
- College of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Chenjun Bai
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Pingkun Zhou
- College of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Radiobiology, Department of Radiation Biology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
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Jin L, Jin A, Wang L, Qi X, Jin Y, Zhang C, Niu M. NRP1 Induces Enhanced Stemness and Chemoresistance in Glioma Cells via YAP. Biol Pharm Bull 2024; 47:166-174. [PMID: 38220212 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b23-00630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a transmembrane glycoprotein, plays an important role in the malignant progression of gliomas; however, its role in chemoresistance is not fully understood. In this study, we observed the effects of NRP1 on the stemness and chemoresistance of glioma cells and the mediating role of Yes-associated protein (YAP). We constructed NRP1 overexpressing LN-229 glioma cells. Cells were treated with recombinant NRP1 protein (rNRP1) and the YAP inhibitor Super-TDU when necessary. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect the sensitivity of cells to temozolomide (TMZ). Sphere and clone formation assays were performed to detect the sphere- and clone-forming abilities of cells. Western blotting was performed to detect cellular CD133, CD44, p-LATS1, and p-YAP protein expression. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to detect the subcellular localization of YAP and apoptosis, respectively. We found that both NRP1 overexpression and rNRP1 treatment enhanced self-renewal, TMZ resistance, and CD133 and CD44 protein expression in LN-229 cells. NRP1 overexpression and rNRP1 treatment also induced LATS1 and YAP dephosphorylation and YAP nuclear translocation. Super-TDU inhibits NRP1 overexpression-induced enhanced self-renewal and TMZ resistance in LN-229 cells. Our study suggests that NRP1 induces increased stemness in glioma cells, resulting in chemoresistance, and that this effect is associated with YAP activation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ai Jin
- Cangzhou People's Hospital
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He C, Teng X, Wang L, Ni M, Zhu L, Liu J, Lv W, Hu J. The implications of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in esophageal carcinoma. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:8691-8703. [PMID: 37598390 PMCID: PMC10520198 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08575-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is always diagnosed at advanced stage and its the mortality rate remains high. The patients usually miss the best opportunity for treatment because of non-specific symptoms and the survival rates are low. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) the predominant modification in eukaryotic messenger RNA(mRNA), serves vital roles in numerous bioprocess. This chemical modification is dynamic, reversible and consists of three regulators: m6A methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers) and m6A-binding proteins (readers). Recently, a growing number of evidences have indicated relationships between m6A and EC. Whereas, lacking of cognition about the molecular mechanism of m6A modification in esophageal carcinoma. We will focus on the biological function roles of m6A modification in the tumorigenesis and development of EC. Recent studies showed that immunotherapy had a positive impact on EC. The relationship between m6A and immunotherapy in EC deserves further research and discussion. We will also discuss the potential clinical applications regarding diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of m6A modification for EC and provide perspectives for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao Teng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Luming Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Miaoqi Ni
- Echocardiography and Vascular Ultrasound Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Linhai Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiacong Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wang Lv
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian Hu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Evaluation Technology for Medical Device of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.
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Chen X, Zhang L, He Y, Huang S, Chen S, Zhao W, Yu D. Regulation of m 6A modification on ferroptosis and its potential significance in radiosensitization. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:343. [PMID: 37714846 PMCID: PMC10504338 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01645-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is often used to treat various types of cancers, but radioresistance greatly limits the clinical efficiency. Recent studies have shown that radiotherapy can lead to ferroptotic cancer cell deaths. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death caused by excessive lipid peroxidation. The induction of ferroptosis provides a potential therapeutic strategy for radioresistance. As the most common post-transcriptional modification of mRNA, m6A methylation is widely involved in the regulation of various physiopathological processes by regulating RNA function. Dynamic m6A modification controlled by m6A regulatory factors also affects the susceptibility of cells to ferroptosis, thereby determining the radiosensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy. In this review, we summarize the mechanism and significance of radiotherapy induced ferroptosis, analyze the regulatory characteristics of m6A modification on ferroptosis, and discuss the possibility of radiosensitization by enhancing m6A-mediated ferroptosis. Clarifying the regulation of m6A modification on ferroptosis and its significance in the response of tumor cells to radiotherapy will help us identify novel targets to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy and reduce or overcome radioresistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Chen
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510055, People's Republic of China
| | - Lejia Zhang
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510055, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi He
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510055, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyuan Huang
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510055, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangwu Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol, Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510055, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dongsheng Yu
- Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510055, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang Y, Gu W, Shao Y. The therapeutic targets of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications on tumor radioresistance. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:141. [PMID: 37522921 PMCID: PMC10390431 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00759-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiation therapy is an important tool for malignant tumors, and its tolerance needs to be addressed. In recent years, several studies have shown that regulators of aberrant m6A methylation play an important role in the formation, development and invasion and metastasis of tumors. A large number of studies have confirmed aberrant m6A methylation as a new target for tumour therapy, but research on whether it can play a role in tumor sensitivity to radiotherapy has not been extensive and thorough enough. Recent studies have shown that all three major enzymes of m6A methylation have significant roles in radioresistance, and that the enzymes that play a role differ in different tumor types and by different mechanisms, including regulating tumor cell stemness, affecting DNA damage and repair, and controlling the cell cycle. Therefore, elucidating the mechanisms of m6A methylation in the radiotherapy of malignant tumors is essential to counteract radioresistance, improve the efficacy of radiotherapy, and even propose targeted treatment plans for specific tumors. The latest research progress on m6A methylation and radioresistance is reviewed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 185 Juqian Street, Changzhou, 213003, China
| | - Wendong Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 185 Juqian Street, Changzhou, 213003, China.
| | - Yingjie Shao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 185 Juqian Street, Changzhou, 213003, China.
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Wang L, Tang Y. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in cancer stem cell: From molecular mechanisms to therapeutic implications. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 163:114846. [PMID: 37167725 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug resistance and metastasis has long been a difficult problem for cancer treatment. Recent studies have shown that cancer stem cell populations are key factors in the regulation of cancer aggressiveness, relapse and drug resistance. Cancer stem cell (CSC) populations are highly plastic and self-renewing, giving them unique metabolic, metastatic, and chemotherapy resistance properties. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal modification of mRNA and is involved in a variety of cell growth and development processes, including RNA transcription, alternative splicing, degradation, and translation. It has also been linked to the development of various cancers. At present, the important role of m6A in tumour progression is gradually attracting attention, especially in the tumour stemness regulation process. Abnormal m6A modifications regulate tumour metastasis, recurrence and drug resistance. This paper aims to explore the regulatory mechanism of m6A in CSCs and clinical therapy, clarify its regulatory network, and provide theoretical guidance for the development of clinical targets and improvement of therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China
| | - Yuanxin Tang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
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Yu QY, Han Y, Lu JH, Sun YJ, Liao XH. NRP1 regulates autophagy and proliferation of gastric cancer through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:8613-8629. [PMID: 37702613 PMCID: PMC10522364 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer possesses high lethality rate, and its complex molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis lead to irrational treatment outcomes. Autophagy plays a dual role in cancer by both promoting and suppressing the cancer. However, the role of autophagy in gastric cancer is still vague. Therefore, in this study, we first obtained autophagy-related genes from the Human Autophagy Database, and then applied consensus clustering analysis to analyse the molecular subtypes of gastric cancer samples in the TCGA database. The genes obtained after subtyping were then applied to construct risk prognostic model. Following this, PCA and tSNE assessed risk scores with good discriminatory ability for gastric cancer samples. The results of Cox regression analysis and time-dependent ROC curve analysis indicated that the model had good risk prediction ability. Finally, NRP1 was selected as the final study subject in the context of expression pairwise analysis, Kaplan-Meier curves and external validation of the GEO dataset. In vitro experiments showed that NRP1 has the ability to regulate the proliferation and autophagy of gastric cancer cells by affecting the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Similarly, in vivo experiments have shown that NRP1 can affect tumour growth in vivo. We therefore propose that NRP1 can be used as both a prognostic factor and a therapeutic target through the regulation of autophagy in gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Ying Yu
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yue Han
- Jinan People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong, Jinan City People’s Hospital, Jinan 271199, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Hui Lu
- Beidahuang Group General Hospital, Heilongjiang Province Second Cancer Hospital, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Jie Sun
- Jinan People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong, Jinan City People’s Hospital, Jinan 271199, Shandong, P.R. China
| | - Xing-Hua Liao
- Institute of Biology and Medicine, College of Life and Health Sciences, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, Hubei, P.R. China
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