Signaling pathways and their potential therapeutic utility in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

FOXF2 suppressed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by reducing M2 TAMs via modulating RNF144A-FTO axis

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the deadliest cancers because of its high invasiveness and low survival. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are closely associated with the tumor cell proliferation, metastasis and immunosuppression. As a member of the FOX family, forkhead box F2 (FOXF2) was down-regulated in ESCC. However, its role in ESCC and TAMs, as well as the underlying mechanism, remains unclear. We found that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ESCC were enriched in proliferation, migration, macrophage and cancer pathways. Among these DEGs, FOXF2 caught our eyes. FOXF2 was down-regulated in ESCC. Overexpression FOXF2 inhibited the proliferation of ESCC cells and the M2 polarization of TAMs, but silenced FOXF2 reversed these results. Notably, FOXF2 promoted the transcription of ring finger protein 144A (RNF144A), which is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, causing the ubiquitination and degradation of FTO Alpha-Ketoglutarate Dependent Dioxygenase (FTO), an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase. Furthermore, overexpression of FTO abolished the effects of FOXF2 on TAM polarization. In conclusion, FOXF2 alleviates ESCC via promoting the transcription of RNF144A which results in the ubiquitylation and degradation of FTO. Targeting FOXF2/RNF144A/FOT axis might be a possible strategy for the treatment of ESCC.

A novel computational model ITHCS for enhanced prognostic risk stratification in ESCC by correcting for intratumor heterogeneity

Intratumor heterogeneity significantly challenges the accuracy of existing prognostic models for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by introducing biases related to the varied genetic and molecular landscapes within tumors. Traditional models, relying on single-sample, single-region bulk RNA sequencing, fall short of capturing the complexity of intratumor heterogeneity. To fill this gap, we developed a computational model for intratumor heterogeneity corrected signature (ITHCS) by employing both multiregion bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing to pinpoint genes that exhibit consistent expression patterns across different tumor regions but vary significantly among patients. Utilizing these genes, we applied multiple machine-learning algorithms for sophisticated feature selection and model construction. The ITHCS model significantly outperforms existing prognostic indicators in accuracy and generalizability, markedly reducing sampling biases caused by intratumor heterogeneity. This improvement is especially notable in the prognostic assessment of early-stage ESCC patients, where the model exhibits exceptional predictive power. Additionally, we found that the risk score based on ITHCS may be associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition characteristics, indicating that high-risk patients may exhibit a diminished efficacy to immunotherapy.

PYGO2 increases proliferation and migration capacities through critical signaling pathways in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal cancer, an increasingly prevalent malignancy, is a major concern for global health. The development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) involves various genetic abnormalities that affect key cell signaling pathways, including Wnt, Hh, Apoptosis, MAPK, EGFR, AKT, Notch, and EMT. Additionally, this malignancy involves some changes in the expression of long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs). The present study examines the relationship between PYGO2 gene expression and the activity of cell signaling pathways in KYSE-30 and YM-1ESCC cell lines. To this end, several cellular and molecular tests were performed, including cell migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis. Also, expression levels of CD133 and CD44 markers, real-time PCR, and western blot were analyzed after inducing PYGO2 protein expression in the cells. Overexpression of the PYGO2 protein resulted in the upregulation of Wnt pathway-related genes, leading to enhanced cell migration and proliferation and reduced apoptosis in both cell lines. Furthermore, PYGO2 gene expression induction analysis showed the correlation of several involved genes in Wnt, Hh, Apoptosis, MAPK, EGFR, AKT, and EMT pathways with various LncRNAs.

Involvement of DPP3 in modulating oncological features and oxidative stress response in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Resistance to therapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a critical clinical problem and identification of novel therapeutic targets is highly warranted. Dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP3) is a zinc-dependent aminopeptidase and functions in the terminal stages of the protein turnover. Several studies have reported overexpression and oncogenic functions of DPP3 in numerous malignancies. The present study aimed to determine the expression pattern and functional role of DPP3 in ESCC. DPP3 expression was assessed in normal and tumor tissues using quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR and corroborated with ESCC gene expression datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The cancer genome atlas (TCGA). DPP3 stable knockdown was performed in ESCC cells by shRNA and its effect on cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, and activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway was assessed. The results suggested that DPP3 is overexpressed in ESCC and its knockdown leads to reduced proliferation, increased apoptosis, and inhibited migration of ESCC cells. Additionally, DPP3 knockdown leads to down-regulation of the NRF2 pathway proteins, such as NRF2, G6PD, and NQO1 along with increased sensitivity toward oxidative stress-induced cell death and chemotherapy. Conclusively, these results demonstrate critical role of DPP3 in ESCC and DPP3/NRF2 axis may serve as an attractive therapeutic target against chemoresistance in this malignancy.

RNF149 confers cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via destabilization of PHLPP2 and activating PI3K/AKT signalling

Chemo-resistance has been identified as a crucial factor contributing to tumor recurrence and a leading cause of worse prognosis in patients with ESCC. Therefore, unravel the critical regulators and effective strategies to overcome drug resistance will have a significant clinical impact on the disease. In our study we found that RNF149 was upregulated in ESCC and high RNF149 expression was associated with poor prognosis with ESCC patients. Functionally, we have demonstrated that overexpression of RNF149 confers CDDP resistance to ESCC; however, inhibition of RNF149 reversed this phenomenon both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that RNF149 interacts with PH domain and leucine rich repeat protein phosphatase 2 (PHLPP2) and induces E3 ligase-dependent protein degradation of PHLPP2, substantially activating the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway in ESCC. Additionally, we found that inhibition of PI3K/AKT signalling pathway by AKT siRNA or small molecule inhibitor significantly suppressed RNF149-induced CDDP resistance. Importantly, RNF149 locus was also found to be amplified not only in ESCC but also in various human cancer types. Our data suggest that RNF149 might function as an oncogenic gene. Targeting the RNF149/PHLPP2/PI3K/Akt axis may be a promising prognostic factor and valuable therapeutic target for malignant tumours.

TOPK promotes the growth of esophageal cancer in vitro and in vivo by enhancing YB1/eEF1A1 signal pathway

T-LAK-originated protein kinase (TOPK), a dual specificity serine/threonine kinase, is up-regulated and related to poor prognosis in many types of cancers. Y-box binding protein 1 (YB1) is a DNA/RNA binding protein and serves important roles in multiple cellular processes. Here, we reported that TOPK and YB1 were both highly expressed in esophageal cancer (EC) and correlated with poor prognosis. TOPK knockout effectively suppressed EC cell proliferation and these effects were reversible by rescuing YB1 expression. Notably, TOPK phosphorylated YB1 at Thr 89 (T89) and Ser 209 (S209) amino acid residues, then the phosphorylated YB1 bound with the promoter of the eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha 1 (eEF1A1) to activate its transcription. Consequently, the AKT/mTOR signal pathway was activated by up-regulated eEF1A1 protein. Importantly, TOPK inhibitor HI-TOPK-032 suppressed the EC cell proliferation and tumor growth by TOPK/YB1/eEF1A1 signal pathway in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our study reveals that TOPK and YB1 are essential for the growth of EC, and TOPK inhibitors may be applied to retard cell proliferation in EC. This study highlights the promising therapeutic potential of TOPK as a target for treatment of EC.

HN1L/AP-2γ/PLK1 signaling drives tumor progression and chemotherapy resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Hematological and neurological expressed 1 like (HN1L) is a newly identified oncogene in lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma recently identified by our team, but its roles in the development and treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain incompletely cataloged. Here, using ESCC tissue array and public database analysis, we demonstrated that HN1L was highly expressed in ESCC tissues, which was associated with tumor tissue invasion, poor clinical stage and short survival for ESCC patients. Loss- and gain-of-function studies in ESCC cells revealed that HN1L enhances ESCC cell metastasis and proliferation in vitro and in mice models. Moreover, high level of HN1L reduces the sensibility of ESCC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as Docetaxel. Mechanism studies revealed that HN1L activated the transcription of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) by interacting with transcription factor AP-2γ, which increased the expression of malignancy related proteins Cyclin D1 and Slug in ESCC cells. Blocking PLK1 with inhibitor BI-2356 abrogated the oncogenic function of HN1L and significantly suppressed ESCC progression by combining with chemotherapy. Therefore, this study demonstrates the vital pro-tumor role of HN1L/AP-2γ/PLK1 signaling axis in ESCC, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC patients with high HN1L by blocking PLK1.

CDCA7 promotes TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via transcriptionally regulating Smad4/Smad7 in ESCC

Cell division cycle associated 7 (CDCA7) is a copy number amplification gene that contributes to the metastasis and invasion of tumors, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This present study aimed at clarifying whether high expression of CDCA7 promotes the metastasis and invasion of ESCC cell lines and exploring the underlying mechanisms implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ESCC. The role of CDCA7 in the regulation of ESCC metastasis and invasion was evaluated using ESCC cell lines. Expression of EMT-related markers including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, and Slug, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathway including Smad2/3, p-Smad2/3, Smad4, and Smad7 were detected in CDCA7 knockdown and overexpressed cell lines. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and rescue assay were used to explore the underlying mechanisms that CDCA7 contributed to the metastasis and invasion of ESCC. High CDCA7 expression significantly promoted the metastasis and invasion of ESCC cell lines both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the expression of CDCA7 positively correlated with the expression of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, Slug, TGF-β signaling pathway and negatively correlated with the expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, CDCA7 transcriptionally regulated the expression of Smad4 and Smad7. Knockdown of CDCA7 inhibited the TGF-β signaling pathway and therefore inhibited EMT. Our data indicated that CDCA7 was heavily involved in EMT by regulating the expression of Smad4 and Smad7 in TGF-β signaling pathway. CDCA7 might be a new therapeutic target in the suppression of metastasis and invasion of ESCC.

Exploiting the Molecular Basis of Oesophageal Cancer for Targeted Therapies and Biomarkers for Drug Response: Guiding Clinical Decision-Making

Worldwide, oesophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of deaths related to cancer and represents a major health concern. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions of the world with the highest incidence and mortality rates for oesophageal cancer and most of the cases of oesophageal cancer in this region are oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The development and progression of OSCC is characterized by genomic changes which can be utilized as diagnostic or prognostic markers. These include changes in the expression of various genes involved in signaling pathways that regulate pathways that regulate processes that are related to the hallmarks of cancer, changes in the tumor mutational burden, changes in alternate splicing and changes in the expression of non-coding RNAs such as miRNA. These genomic changes give rise to characteristic profiles of altered proteins, transcriptomes, spliceosomes and genomes which can be used in clinical applications to monitor specific disease related parameters. Some of these profiles are characteristic of more aggressive forms of cancer or are indicative of treatment resistance or tumors that will be difficult to treat or require more specialized specific treatments. In Sub-Saharan region of Africa there is a high incidence of viral infections such as HPV and HIV, which are both risk factors for OSCC. The genomic changes that occur due to these infections can serve as diagnostic markers for OSCC related to viral infection. Clinically this is an important distinction as it influences treatment as well as disease progression and treatment monitoring practices. This underlines the importance of the characterization of the molecular landscape of OSCC in order to provide the best treatment, care, diagnosis and screening options for the management of OSCC.