Oncogenicity of the transcription factor SOX8 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Machine learning on syngeneic mouse tumor profiles to model clinical immunotherapy response

Most patients with cancer are refractory to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, and proper patient stratification remains an open question. Primary patient data suffer from high heterogeneity, low accessibility, and lack of proper controls. In contrast, syngeneic mouse tumor models enable controlled experiments with ICB treatments. Using transcriptomic and experimental variables from >700 ICB-treated/control syngeneic mouse tumors, we developed a machine learning framework to model tumor immunity and identify factors influencing ICB response. Projected on human immunotherapy trial data, we found that the model can predict clinical ICB response. We further applied the model to predicting ICB-responsive/resistant cancer types in The Cancer Genome Atlas, which agreed well with existing clinical reports. Last, feature analysis implicated factors associated with ICB response. In summary, our computational framework based on mouse tumor data reliably stratified patients regarding ICB response, informed resistance mechanisms, and has the potential for wide applications in disease treatment studies.

The Dysregulation of SOX Family Correlates with DNA Methylation and Immune Microenvironment Characteristics to Predict Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Due to the molecular heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), majority of patients respond poorly among various of therapy. This study is aimed at conducting a comprehensive analysis about roles of SOX family in HCC for obtaining more therapeutic targets and biomarkers which may bring new ideas for the treatment of HCC.

Methods

UALCAN, Kaplan Meier plotter, cBioPortal, STRING, WebGestalt, Metascape, TIMER 2.0, DiseaseMeth, MethSurv, HPA, CCLE database, and Cytoscape software were used to comprehensively analyze the bioinformatic data.

Results

SOX2, SOX4, SOX8, SOX10, SOX11, SOX12, SOX17, and SOX18 were significantly differentially expressed in HCC and normal tissues and were valuable for the grade and survival of HCC patients. In addition, the gene alterations of SOX family happened frequently, and SOX4 and SOX17 had the highest mutation rate. The function of SOX family on HCC may be closely correlated with the regulation of angiogenesis-related signaling pathways. Moreover, SOX4, SOX8, SOX11, SOX12, SOX17, and SOX18 were correlation with 8 types of immune cells (including CD8+ T cell, CD4+ T cell, B cell, Tregs, neutrophil, macrophage, myeloid DC, and NK cell), and we found that most types of immune cells had a positive correlation with SOX family. Notably, CD4+ T cell and macrophage were positively related with all these SOX family. NK cells were negatively related with most SOX family genes. DNA methylation levels in promoter area of SOX2, SOX4, and SOX10 were lower in HCC than normal tissues, while SOX8, SOX11, SOX17, and SOX18 had higher DNA methylation levels than normal tissues. Moreover, higher DNA methylation level of SOX12 and SOX18 demonstrated worse survival rates in patients with HCC.

Conclusion

SOX family genes could predict the prognosis of HCC. In addition, the regulation of angiogenesis-related signaling pathways may participate in the development of HCC. DNA methylation level and immune microenvironment characteristics (especially CD4+ T cell and macrophage immune cell infiltration) could be a novel insight for predicting prognosis in HCC.

Advance of SOX Transcription Factors in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Role, Tumor Immune Relevance to Targeted Therapy

Simple Summary

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest human health burdens worldwide. However, the molecular mechanism of HCC development is still not fully understood. Sex determining region Y-related high-mobility group box (SOX) transcription factors not only play pivotal roles in cell fate decisions during development but also participate in the initiation and progression of cancer. Given the significance of SOX factors in cancer and their ‘undruggable’ properties, we summarize the role and molecular mechanism of SOX family members in HCC and the regulatory effect of SOX factors in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of various cancers. For the first time, we analyze the association between the levels of SOX factors and that of immune components in HCC, providing clues to the pivotal role of SOX factors in the TIME of HCC. We also discuss the opportunities and challenges of targeting SOX factors for cancer.

Abstract

Sex determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility group (HMG) box (SOX) factors belong to an evolutionarily conserved family of transcription factors that play essential roles in cell fate decisions involving numerous developmental processes. In recent years, the significance of SOX factors in the initiation and progression of cancers has been gradually revealed, and they act as potential therapeutic targets for cancer. However, the research involving SOX factors is still preliminary, given that their effects in some leading-edge fields such as tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) remain obscure. More importantly, as a class of ‘undruggable’ molecules, targeting SOX factors still face considerable challenges in achieving clinical translation. Here, we mainly focus on the roles and regulatory mechanisms of SOX family members in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the fatal human health burdens worldwide. We then detail the role of SOX members in remodeling TIME and analyze the association between SOX members and immune components in HCC for the first time. In addition, we emphasize several alternative strategies involved in the translational advances of SOX members in cancer. Finally, we discuss the alternative strategies of targeting SOX family for cancer and propose the opportunities and challenges they face based on the current accumulated studies and our understanding.

Genome-wide aberrant methylation in primary metastatic UM and their matched metastases

Uveal melanoma (UM) is an aggressive intra-ocular cancer with a strong tendency to metastasize. Metastatic UM is associated with mutations in BAP1 and SF3B1, however only little is known about the epigenetic modifications that arise in metastatic UM. In this study we aim to unravel epigenetic changes contributing to UM metastasis using a new genome-wide methylation analysis technique that covers over 50% of all CpG’s. We identified aberrant methylation contributing to BAP1 and SF3B1-mediated UM metastasis. The methylation data was integrated with expression data and surveyed in matched UM metastases from the liver, skin and bone. UM metastases showed no commonly shared novel epigenetic modifications, implying that epigenetic changes contributing to metastatic spreading and colonization in distant tissues occur early in the development of UM and epigenetic changes that occur after metastasis are mainly patient-specific. Our findings reveal a plethora of epigenetic modifications in metastatic UM and its metastases, which could subsequently result in aberrant repression or activation of many tumor-related genes. This observation points towards additional layers of complexity at the level of gene expression regulation, which may explain the low mutational burden of UM.

An oncolytic adenovirus delivering TSLC1 inhibits Wnt signaling pathway and tumor growth in SMMC-7721 xenograft mice model

Tumor suppressor in lung cancer-1 (TSLC1) was first identified as a tumor suppressor for lung cancer, and frequently downregulated in various types of cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The Wnt pathway plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, migration, and invasion in HCC. However, the function of TSLC1 in modulating Wnt signaling in HCC is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of TSLC1-armed oncolytic adenovirus (S24-TSLC1) on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, cell viability, invasion and migration abilities of HCC in vitro and the growth of SMMC-7721-xenografted tumor in mice model. We detected the expression of TSLC1 in tumor samples and HCC cell lines. The results showed that TSLC1 expression was low in HCC, but high in pericarcinomatous tissue and normal cells, which implied that TSLC1 is a tumor suppressor of liver cancer. S24-TSLC1 exhibited an antitumor effect on HCC cell growth in vitro, but did little damage to normal liver cells. Overexpression of TSLC1 downregulated the transcriptional activity of TCF4/β-catenin and inhibited the mRNA or protein expression of Wnt target genes cyclinD1 and c-myc. S24-TSLC1 also inhibited the invasion and migration of HCC cells. Animal experiments further confirmed that S24-TSLC1 significantly inhibited tumor growth of the SMMC-7721-xenografted tumor. In conclusion, TSLC1 could downregulate the Wnt signal pathway and suppress HCC cell growth, migration and invasion, suggesting that S24-TSLC1 may be a potent antitumor agent for future clinical trials in liver cancer treatment.

The oncogenic role of SOX8 in endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains one of the most prevalent forms of cancer to impact the female reproductive system, yet the mechanisms governing its development and progression are incompletely understood. We, therefore, sought to assess the relevance of SOX8 to EC progression and patient prognosis. Array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was performed using samples from 50 patients with EC. Samples were separated based upon whether patients were positive for lymph node metastasis (LN+ and LN-, respectively). Based on our initial results, the SOX8 gene was selected for further analysis. Immunohistochemical staining of 630 endometrial tissue samples was conducted to understand how SOX8 expression relates to specific EC clinicopathological characteristics. In addition, we explored the impact of SOX8 expression on the growth, invasion, and migration of EC cells through knockdown and overexpression experiments. In our initial aCGH analysis, SOX family proteins and the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways were significantly associated with EC LN metastasis. SOX8 expression was markedly increased in EC tumor samples relative to normal endometrial tissue (P= .003), and higher SOX8 expression was linked to a high tumor histological grade (P= .032), LN metastasis (P= .027), and shorter patient overall survival (P= .031). When SOX8 was knocked down, this further impaired the proliferative, invasive, and migratory activity of EC cells, whereas overexpressing this gene had the opposite effect. SOX8 may function in an oncogenic manner to drive EC development and progression, and higher SOX8 expression is associated with a poor EC patient prognosis.

Whole Genome Sequence Data Provides Novel Insights Into the Genetic Architecture of Meat Quality Traits in Beef

Tenderness is a major quality attribute for fresh beef steaks in the United States, and meat quality traits in general are suitable candidates for genomic research. The objectives of the present analysis were to (1) perform genome-wide association (GWA) analysis for marbling, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), tenderness, and connective tissue using whole-genome data in an Angus population, (2) identify enriched pathways in each GWA analysis; (3) construct a protein-protein interaction network using the associated genes and (4) perform a μ-calpain proteolysis assessment for associated structural proteins. An Angus-sired population of 2,285 individuals was assessed. Animals were transported to a commercial packing plant and harvested at an average age of 457 ± 46 days. After 48 h postmortem, marbling was recorded by graders' visual appraisal. Two 2.54-cm steaks were sampled from each muscle for recording of WBSF, and tenderness, and connective tissue by a sensory panel. The relevance of additive effects on marbling, WBSF, tenderness, and connective tissue was evaluated on a genome-wide scale using a two-step mixed model-based approach in single-trait analysis. A tissue-restricted gene enrichment was performed for each GWA where all polymorphisms with an association p-value lower than 1 × 10-3 were included. The genes identified as associated were included in a protein-protein interaction network and a candidate structural protein assessment of proteolysis analyses. A total of 1,867, 3,181, 3,926, and 3,678 polymorphisms were significantly associated with marbling, WBSF, tenderness, and connective tissue, respectively. The associate region on BTA29 (36,432,655-44,313,046 bp) harbors 13 highly significant markers for meat quality traits. Enrichment for the GO term GO:0005634 (Nucleus), which includes transcription factors, was evident. The final protein-protein network included 431 interations between 349 genes. The 42 most important genes based on significance that encode structural proteins were included in a proteolysis analysis, and 81% of these proteins were potential μ-Calpain substrates. Overall, this comprehensive study unraveled genetic variants, genes and mechanisms of action responsible for the variation in meat quality traits. Our findings can provide opportunities for improving meat quality in beef cattle via marker-assisted selection.

SOX9 enhances sorafenib resistance through upregulating ABCG2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Sorafenib is a multi-kinase blocker and one of the few suggested drug treatments for aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, drug resistance to sorafenib may often occur over time and cause further tumor aggression. Recently, cancer stem cells were found in HCC and were speculated to be involved in tumor progression. SOX9 is highly expressed in HCC cancer stem cells and promotes cell proliferation and self-renewal. Meanwhile, HCC patients with higher SOX9 expression show poorer prognosis. Whether SOX9 is involved in sorafenib resistance in HCC is still unclear. Here, we found that sorafenib treatment increased the proportion of SOX9 positive cells in HCC cell lines. Overexpression of exogenous SOX9 in HCC increased sorafenib resistance both in vitro and in vivo, whereas down-regulation led to inhibition of sorafenib resistance. Knock-down of SOX9 by RNA interference caused down-regulation of downstream genes, including ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2). The drug resistance to sorafenib caused by SOX9 overexpression could be ameliorated by ABCG2 inhibition in HCC cell lines. In the cohort of patients taken sorafenib, we found that patients with lower SOX9 expression had more prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis shows that SOX9 expression exerts as an independent risk factor for the OS and PFS of HCC patients with sorafenib treatment. These findings demonstrate that SOX9 enhances sorafenib resistance and may regulate this process by modulating ABCG2 expression.

Quantitative Proteomic Profiling Identifies SOX8 as Novel Regulator of Drug Resistance in Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

The development of drug resistance remains one of the major challenges to current chemotherapeutic regimens in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). Further understanding on the mechanisms of drug resistance would help to develop more effective therapy to treat GTN. Herein, tandem mass tag-based (TMT) quantitative proteomic technique was used to establish drug resistance-related proteomic profiles in chemoresistant GTN cell models (JEG3/MTX, JEG3/VP16, JEG3/5-Fu). In total, we identified 5,704 protein groups, among which 4,997 proteins were quantified in JEG3 and its chemoresistant sublines. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that multiple biological processes/molecular pathways/signaling networks were involved in the regulation of drug resistance in chemoresistant JEG3 sublines. SOX8 was upregulated in all the three chemoresistant sublines, and its function was further investigated. Knockdown of SOX8 significantly reduced cell viability, impaired soft agar clonogenesis, and increased caspase-3 activities after drug treatment in JEG3 chemoresistant sublines. In addition, over-expression of SOX8 promoted cell survival, enhanced soft agar clonogenesis, and attenuated caspase-3 activities after drug treatment in GTN cells. Importantly, SOX8 might be a potential regulator of reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, as SOX8 regulated the expression of antioxidant enzymes (GPX1, HMOX1) and reduced drug-induced ROS accumulation in GTN cell models. Collectively, SOX8 might promote drug resistance through attenuating the accumulation of ROS induced by chemotherapeutic drugs in GTN cells. Targeting SOX8 might be useful to sensitize GTN cells to chemotherapy.

High SOX8 expression promotes tumor growth and predicts poor prognosis through GOLPH3 signaling in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

According to our previous study, GOLPH3 is markedly up-expressed in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), which is also associated with poor survival. However, it remains unclear about key upstream and downstream mechanisms of GOLPH3. This study aimed to illuminate new mechanisms modulating GOLPH3 upregulation and promoting TSCC development at the molecular level. Using mass spectrometry and agarose-streptavidin-biotin pull-down analyses, SOX8 (SRY-Box 8) was identified to be the new protein to bind the GOLPH3 promoter within TSCC cells, which was further verified to be the regulator of GOLPH3 upregulation. The knockdown of SOX8 suppressed the promoter activity of GOLPH3, while secondarily inhibiting TSCC cell proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, GOLPH3 overexpression rescued the SOX8 knockdown-mediated suppression on TSCC proliferation. Additionally, exogenous over-expression of SOX8 also activated the activity of promoter as well as GOLPH3 expression, in the meantime of promoting TSCC development. Moreover it was discovered that SOX8 regulated GOLPH3 expression through interacting with TFAP2A. Moreover our results suggested that the SOX8 level was increased within tumor tissue compared with that in para-cancer normal counterpart, which showed positive correlation with the GOLPH3 level. According to Kaplan-Meier analyses, TSCC cases having higher SOX8 and GOLPH3 expression were associated with poorer prognostic outcomes. Taken together, this study reveals that SOX8 enhances the TSCC cell growth via the direct transcriptional activation of GOLPH3, which also indicates the potential to use SOX8/GOLPH3 pathway as the treatment target among TSCC patients.

SOX8 acts as a prognostic factor and mediator to regulate the progression of triple-negative breast cancer

The molecular mechanisms underlying triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) pathology are not fully understood. Here, we reviewed the SOX8 transcript level in 24 types of cancer and normal tissues and the SOX8 expression pattern in breast cancer from the TCGA and METABRIC data sets and found that SOX8 was highly expressed in TNBC. We investigated the effect of SOX8 on tumorigenicity, migration and apoptosis in TNBC cell lines and xenografts models. We identified SOX8 as a functional oncogene that involved in the maintenance of stem-like capacities in TNBC cells. Through a promoter truncation experiment and ChIP experiment, we verified zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) as a transcriptional activator of SOX8 that enhanced SOX8 expression by binding to its promoter. We evaluated the ZEB1 and the SOX8 levels in 240 TNBC patients and high expression of ZEB1 and SOX8 were significantly associated with poor prognosis. We demonstrated the significance of the ZEB1-SOX8 axis in regulating TNBC cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) and its connection with poor prognosis. Due to its vital role in TNBC CSCs, the ZEB1-SOX8 regulatory axis could be a promising therapeutic target for TNBC.

Over-expression of SOX8 predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer: A retrospective study

Aberrant expression of SRY-box 8 (SOX8) is closely correlated with the development and progression of many types of cancers in human. Limited studies report the relationship between SOX8 expression and overall survival in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to collect the pathological tissues and clinical data in order to analyze the relationship between SOX8 expression and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of CRC patients. Tissue microarrays were constructed from 424 primary CRC patients with clinicopathological information and follow-up data. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on tissue microarrays to explore the relationship between SOX8 expression and clinicopathological information and patient's prognosis. The expression of SOX8 was higher in CRC tissues than that in non-tumor adjacent tissues (NATs, P <.001). High expression of SOX8 was associated with tumor stage (P = .04) and shorter overall survival (OS) after operation of patients (P = .004). Subsequently, univariate COX analysis identified that high expression of SOX8 (P = .004), differentiation (P = .006), distant metastasis (P <.001), tumor stage (P = .003), and higher rate of lymph node metastasis (P <.001), all significantly predicted decrease in OS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that distant metastasis (P <.001), high SOX8 expression, (P = .013) and lymph node metastasis (P <.001) were independent poor prognostic factors in CRC patients. This study showed that SOX8 is over-expressed in patients with high T stage, which affects the outcome of prognosis in CRC patients. High expression of SOX8 usually has a poor independent prognostic factor for CRC.

Oncolytic viro-chemotherapy exhibits antitumor effect in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells and mouse xenografts

Background: Oncolytic virus can specifically replicate in and then lyse tumor cells, but seldom in normal cells. Further studies have shown the significant therapeutic effect of oncolytic virotherapy combining with other strategies, such as chemo-, radio-, and immunotherapy et al. In this study, we investigated the combinational effect of oncolytic virus ZD55-TRAIL and chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX) on human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

Methods: The effect of ZD55-TRAIL combined with DOX on cell growth was assessed in LSCC Hep2 cells and normal cells by MTT assay. Hochest 33342 staining was performed to observe cell morphological changes. Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptotic activation proteins. The in vivo antitumor efficacy of combination treatment was estimated in laryngeal cancer xenograft models.

Results: The combination of ZD55-TRAIL and DOX exhibited enhanced inhibitory effects on laryngocarcinoma cell growth, and had few side effects to normal cells in vitro. Chemotherapy drug increased the inducement of tumor cell apoptosis mediated by oncolytic virus. In vivo experiment confirmed that the combination treatment significantly inhibited Hep2 laryngocarcinoma xenografts growth in mice.

Conclusion: The oncolytic viro-chemotherapy is a potent therapeutic approach for in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of Hep2 cells and xenograft growth in vivo.

The role of SOX family members in solid tumours and metastasis

Cancer is a heavy burden for humans across the world with high morbidity and mortality. Transcription factors including sex determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility group (HMG) box (SOX) proteins are thought to be involved in the regulation of specific biological processes. The deregulation of gene expression programs can lead to cancer development. Here, we review the role of the SOX family in breast cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, thyroid cancer, brain tumours, gastrointestinal and lung tumours as well as the entailing therapeutic implications. The SOX family consists of more than 20 members that mediate DNA binding by the HMG domain and have regulatory functions in development, cell-fate decision, and differentiation. SOX2, SOX4, SOX5, SOX8, SOX9, and SOX18 are up-regulated in different cancer types and have been found to be associated with poor prognosis, while the up-regulation of SOX11 and SOX30 appears to be favourable for the outcome in other cancer types. SOX2, SOX4, SOX5 and other SOX members are involved in tumorigenesis, e.g. SOX2 is markedly up-regulated in chemotherapy resistant cells. The SoxF family (SOX7, SOX17, SOX18) plays an important role in angio- and lymphangiogenesis, with SOX18 seemingly being an attractive target for anti-angiogenic therapy and the treatment of metastatic disease in cancer. In summary, SOX transcription factors play an important role in cancer progression, including tumorigenesis, changes in the tumour microenvironment, and metastasis. Certain SOX proteins are potential molecular markers for cancer prognosis and putative potential therapeutic targets, but further investigations are required to understand their physiological functions.

Variability of Betweenness Centrality and Its Effect on Identifying Essential Genes

This paper begins to build a theoretical framework that would enable the pharmaceutical industry to use network complexity measures as a way to identify drug targets. The variability of a betweenness measure for a network node is examined through different methods of network perturbation. Our results indicate a robustness of betweenness centrality in the identification of target genes.

SOX8 regulates cancer stem-like properties and cisplatin-induced EMT in tongue squamous cell carcinoma by acting on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

A sub-population of chemoresistant cells exhibits biological properties similar to cancer stem cells (CSCs), and these cells are believed to be a main cause for tumor relapse and metastasis. In our study, we explored the role of SOX8 and its molecular mechanism in the regulation of the stemness properties and the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cisplatin-resistant tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) cells. We found that SOX8 was upregulated in cisplatin-resistant TSCC cells, which displayed CSC-like properties and exhibited EMT. SOX8 was also overexpressed in chemoresistant patients with TSCC and was associated with higher lymph node metastasis, advanced tumor stage and shorter overall survival. Stable knockdown of SOX8 in cisplatin-resistant TSCC cells inhibited chemoresistance, tumorsphere formation, and EMT. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway mediated the cancer stem-like properties in cisplatin-resistant TSCC cells. Further studies showed that the transfection of active β-catenin in SOX8 stable-knockdown cells partly rescued the SOX8 silencing-induced repression of stem-like features and chemoresistance. Through chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays, we observed that SOX8 bound to the promoter region of Frizzled-7 (FZD7) and induced the FZD7-mediated activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In summary, SOX8 confers chemoresistance and stemness properties and mediates EMT processes in chemoresistant TSCC via the FZD7-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Extract of Spatholobus suberctus Dunn ameliorates ischemia-induced injury by targeting miR-494

Cerebral stroke is a leading cause of death and permanent disability. The current therapeutic outcome of ischemic stroke (>85% of all strokes) is very poor, thus novel therapeutic drug is urgently needed. In vitro cell model of ischemia was established by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and in vivo animal model of ischemia was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The effects of Spatholobus suberctus Dunn extract (SSCE) on OGD-induced cell injury, MCAO-induced neural injury and miR-494 level were all evaluated. The possible target genes were virtually screened utilizing bioinformatics and verified by luciferase assay. Subsequently, the effects of abnormally expressed miR-494 on OGD-induced cell injury and target gene expression were determined. Additionally, whether SSCE affected target gene expression through modulation of miR-494 was studied. Finally, the effects of aberrantly expressed Sox8 on OGD-induced injury and signaling pathways were estimated. SSCE reduced OGD-induced cell injury and ameliorated MCAO-induced neuronal injury, along with down-regulation of miR-494. Then, OGD-induced cell injury was increased by miR-494 overexpression but decreased by miR-494 silence. Sox8 was a target gene of miR-494, and SSCE could up-regulate Sox8 expression via down-regulating miR-494. Afterwards, OGD-induced cell injury was proved to be increased by Sox8 inhibition but reduced by Sox8 overexpression. Finally, OGD-induced inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways was further inhibited by Sox8 silence but activated by Sox8 overexpression. SSCE ameliorates ischemia-induced injury both in vitro and in vivo by miR-494-mediated modulation of Sox8, involving activations of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathways.

Effects of shRNA-Mediated SOX9 Inhibition on Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Human HCC Cell Line Hep3B Mediated by Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction (UTMD)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive tumors in humans. The survival rate of patients is still very poor as current therapies offer limited treatment efficacy. Therefore, it is necessary to explore novel and more effective strategies to treat HCC. Recently, Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) has been shown to be a better alternative to viral vectors in delivering plasmid DNA into cells. In this study, we thus first determined the effect of combining UTMD with effectene on the transfection efficiency in human Hep3B cells. Transfection rate of the [effectene + shRNA-SOX9 + UTMD] group was the highest among the five groups, and were significantly higher than that of the [effectene + shRNA-SOX9] or [shRNA-SOX9 + UTMD] groups, while there was no significant difference between [shRNA-SOX9 alone] and [shRNA-SOX9 + UTMD] groups. Expression of SOX9 mRNA and protein was the lowest in effectene + shRNA-SOX9 + UTMD group. Moreover, transfection of shRNA-SOX9 with UTMD and effectene in combination could markedly inhibit the proliferation and induced cell apoptosis of Hep3B cells. These results suggest that the efficiency of gene delivery is remarkably increased when UTMD is combined with other transfection strategies, such as effectene. In conclusion, our research demonstrates that combining conventional transfection methods with UTMD achieves better transfection efficiency and that this can provide an improved gene delivery system for gene therapy.

The role of microRNA in metastatic processes of non-small cell lung carcinoma

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs are small non-coding one-stranded RNA molecules that play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulation of genes. Bioinformatic predictions indicate that each miRNA can regulate hundreds of target genes. MicroRNA expression can be associated with various cellular processes leading to the metastasis of malignant tumours including non-small cell lung carcinoma. This review summarizes current knowledge on the role of microRNAs in NSCLC metastasis to the brain and lymph nodes.

METHODS

A search of the NCBI/PubMed database for publications on expression levels and the mechanisms of microRNA action in NSCLC metastasis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Dysregulation of microRNAs in NSCLC can be associated with brain and lymph node metastasis. There are differences in microRNA expression profiling between NSCLC with and without metastases but it is currently not possible to reliably predict the site of metastasis in NSCLC. Based on data from RNAmicroarrays, bioinformatics analysis is able to predict the target genes of highlighted microRNAs, providing us with complex information about cancer cell features such as enhanced proliferation, migration and invasion. Such microRNAs may then be knocked-down using siRNAs or substituted with miRNA mimics. RNA microarray profiling may thus be a useful tool to select up- or down-regulated microRNAs. A number of authors suggest that microRNAs could serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of NSCLC metastasis.

SOX15 and other SOX family members are important mediators of tumorigenesis in multiple cancer types

SOX genes are transcription factors with important roles in embryonic development and carcinogenesis. The SOX family of 20 genes is responsible for regulating lineage and tissue specific gene expression patterns, controlling numerous developmental processes including cell differentiation, sex determination, and organogenesis. As is the case with many genes involved in regulating development, SOX genes are frequently deregulated in cancer. In this perspective we provide a brief overview of how SOX proteins can promote or suppress cancer growth. We also present a pan-cancer analysis of aberrant SOX gene expression and highlight potential molecular mechanisms responsible for their disruption in cancer. Our analyses indicate the prominence of SOX deregulation in different cancer types and reveal potential roles for SOX genes not previously described in cancer. Finally, we summarize our recent identification of SOX15 as a candidate tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer and propose several research avenues to pursue to further delineate the emerging role of SOX15 in development and carcinogenesis.