ShRNA-mediated knock-down of CXCL8 inhibits tumor growth in colorectal liver metastasis

Effects of RNA methylation on Tumor angiogenesis and cancer progression

Tumor angiogenesis plays vital roles in the growth and metastasis of cancer. RNA methylation is one of the most common modifications and is widely observed in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Accumulating studies have revealed that RNA methylation affects the occurrence and development of various tumors. In recent years, RNA methylation has been shown to play an important role in regulating tumor angiogenesis. In this review, we mainly elucidate the mechanisms and functions of RNA methylation on angiogenesis and progression in several cancers. We then shed light on the role of RNA methylation-associated factors and pathways in tumor angiogenesis. Finally, we describe the role of RNA methylation as potential biomarker and novel therapeutic target.

Cancer Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancer: Implications for Targeted Immunotherapies

PURPOSE

Colorectal cancers are composed of heterogeneous cell populations in the concepts of genetic and functional degrees that among them cancer stem cells are identified with their self-renewal and stemness capability mediating primary tumorigenesis, metastasize, therapeutic resistance, and tumor recurrence. Therefore, understanding the key mechanisms of stemness in colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) provides opportunities to discover new treatments or improve existing therapeutic regimens.

METHODS

We review the biological significance of stemness and the results of potential CRCSC-based targeted immunotherapies. Then, we pointed out the barriers to targeting CRCSCs in vivo and highlight new strategies based on synthetic and biogenic nanocarriers for the development of future anti-CRCSC trials.

RESULTS

The CSCs' surface markers, antigens, neoantigens, and signaling pathways supportive CRCSCs or immune cells that are interacted with CRCSCs could be targeted by immune monotherapy or in formulation with developed nanocarriers to overcome the resistant mechanisms in immune evader CRCSCs.

CONCLUSION

Identification molecular and cellular cues supporting stemness in CRCSCs and their targeting by nanoimmunotherpy can improve the efficacy of existed therapies or explore novel therapeutic options in future.

Development of a Novel DNA Aptamer Targeting Colorectal Cancer Cell-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles as a Potential Diagnostic and Therapeutic Agent

Colorectal cancer (CRC) as the second leading cause of global cancer deaths poses critical challenges in clinical settings. Cancer-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), which are secreted by cancer cells, have been shown to mediate tumor development, invasion, and even metastasis, and have thus received increasing attention for the development of cancer diagnostic or therapeutic platforms. In the present study, the sEV-targeted systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (E-SELEX) is developed to generate a high-quality aptamer (CCE-10F) that recognizes and binds to CRC-derived sEVs. Via an in-depth investigation, it is confirmed that this novel aptamer possesses high affinity (Kd = 3.41 nm) for CRC-derived sEVs and exhibits a wide linear range (2.0 × 104 -1.0 × 106 particles µL-1 ) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.0 × 103 particles µL-1 . Furthermore, the aptamer discriminates CRC cell-derived sEVs from those derived from normal colon cell, human serum, and other cancer cells, showing high specificity for CRC cell-derived sEVs and significantly suppresses the critical processes of metastasis, including cellular migration, invasion, and angiogenesis, which are originally induced by sEVs themselves. These findings are highly encouraging for the potential use of the aptamer in sEV-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Benzo(a)pyrene regulates chaperone-mediated autophagy via heat shock protein 90

AIMS

Some studies have shown that the Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) exposure induced oxidative damage, DNA damage and autophagy, but the molecular mechanism is not clear. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is regarded as an important target in cancer therapy and a key factor in autophagy. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the new mechanism of BaP regulating CMA through HSP90.

MAIN METHODS

C57BL mice were fed with BaP at a dose of 25.3mg/kg. A549 cells were treated with different concerntrations of BaP, and MTT assay was used to observe the effect of BaP on the proliferation of A549 cells. DNA damage was detected by alkaline comet assay. Focus experiment for detection of γ-H2AX by immunofluorescence. The mRNA expression of HSP90, HSC70 and Lamp-2a was detected by qPCR. The protein expressions of HSP90, HSC70 and Lamp-2a were detected by Western blot. Next, we knocked down HSP90 expression by the HSP90 Inhibitor, NVP-AUY 922, exposed or HSP90α shRNA lentivirus transduction in A549 cells.

KEY FINDINGS

In these studies, we first found that heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70) and lysosomal-associated membrane protein type 2 receptor (Lamp-2a) expressions of C57BL mice lung tissue and A549 cells exposed to BaP were significant increase, as well as BaP induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and activated DNA damage responses, as evidenced by comet assay and γ-H2AX foci analysis in A549 cells. Our results demonstrated BaP induced CMA and caused DNA damage. Next, we knocked down HSP90 expression by the HSP90 Inhibitor, NVP-AUY 922, exposed or HSP90α shRNA lentivirus transduction in A549 cells. HSC70 and Lamp-2a expressions of these cells exposed to BaP were not significant increase, which showed that BaP inducted CMA was mediated by HSP90. Further, HSP90α shRNA prevented BaP induced of BaP which suggested BaP regulated CMA and caused DNA damage by HSP90. Our results elucidated a new mechanism of BaP regulated CMA through HSP90.

SIGNIFICANCE

BaP regulated CMA through HSP90. HSP90 is involved in the regulation of gene instability induced by DNA damage by BaP, which promotes CMA. Our study also revealed that BaP regulates CMA through HSP90. This study fills the gap of the effect of BaP on autophagy and its mechanism, which will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the action mechanism of BaP.

Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Small Molecule LCC-21 to Suppress Colorectal Cancer Malignancy by Inhibiting Angiogenic and Metastatic Signatures

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers, and it frequently metastasizes to the liver and lymph nodes. Despite major advances in treatment modalities, CRC remains a poorly characterized biological malignancy, with high reported cases of deaths globally. Moreover, cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their microenvironment have been widely shown to promote colon cancer development, progression, and metastasis. Therefore, an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of CSCs and their markers in CRC is crucial in efforts to treat cancer metastasis and develop specific therapeutic targets for augmenting current standard treatments. Herein, we applied computational simulations using bioinformatics to identify potential theranostic markers for CRC. We identified the overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor-α (VEGFA)/β-catenin/matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7/Cluster of Differentiation 44 (CD44) in CRC to be associated with cancer progression, stemness, resistance to therapy, metastasis, and poor clinical outcomes. To further investigate, we explored in silico molecular docking, which revealed potential inhibitory activities of LCC-21 as a potential multitarget small molecule for VEGF-A/CTNNB1/MMP7/CD44 oncogenic signatures, with the highest binding affinities displayed. We validated these finding in vitro and demonstrated that LCC-21 inhibited colony and sphere formation, migration, and invasion, and these results were further confirmed by a Western blot analysis in HCT116 and DLD-1 cells. Thus, the inhibitory effects of LCC-21 on these angiogenic and onco-immunogenic signatures could be of translational relevance as potential CRC biomarkers for early diagnosis.

Anti-CXCL8 Autoantibody: A Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background and Objectives: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignancies. Anti-tumor associated antigen autoantibodies (TAAbs) can be used as biomarkers for tumor detection. The aim of this study was to identify a reliable TAAb as the diagnostic marker for ESCC. Materials and Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to screen candidate genes. The mRNA expression of the key gene was then verified by micro array dataset GSE44021 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the diag nostic value of the corresponding autoantibody to the key gene in ESCC was detected by enzyme-linked im muno sorbent assay (ELISA). Results: CXCL8 was identified as the key gene. The dataset GSE44021 showed that CXCL8 mRNA expression was prominently over-expressed in ESCC tissues compared with normal tissues. ELISA results showed that the level of anti-CXCL8 autoantibody in ESCC patients was significantly higher than in normal controls and the receiver operating char ac teristic (ROC) curve indicated that anti-CXCL8 autoantibody could discriminate ESCC patients from normal controls, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the verification cohort, and the validation cohort were 0.713 and 0.751, respectively. Conclusions: Our study illustrated that anti-CXCL8 autoantibody had good diagnostic value, and may become a candidate biomarker for ESCC.

Systematic Analysis of CXC Chemokine–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Network in Colonic Adenocarcinoma from the Perspective of Angiogenesis

Background

Tumor angiogenesis plays a vital role in tumorigenesis, proliferation, and metastasis. Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and CXC chemokines have been shown to play vital roles in angiogenesis. Exploring the expression level, gene regulatory network, prognostic value, and target prediction of the CXC chemokine-VEGFA network in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is crucial from the perspective of tumor angiogenesis.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed gene expression and regulation, prognostic value, target prediction, and immune infiltrates related to the CXC chemokine-VEGFA network in patients with COAD using multiple databases (cBioPortal, UALCAN, Human Protein Atlas, GeneMANIA, GEPIA, TIMER (version 2.0), TRRUST (version 2), LinkedOmics, and Metascape).

Results

Our results showed that CXCL1/2/3/5/6/8/11/16/17 and VEGFA were markedly overexpressed, while CXCL12/13/14 were underexpressed in patients with COAD. Moreover, genetic alterations in the CXC chemokine-VEGFA network found at varying rates in patients with COAD were as follows: CXCL1/2/17 (2.1%), CXCL3/16 (2.6%), CXCL5/14 (2.4%), CXCL6 (3%), CXCL8 (0.8%), CXCL11/13 (1.9%), CXCL12 (0.6%), and VEGFA (1.3%). Promoter methylation of CXCL1/2/3/11/13/17 was considerably lower in patients with COAD, whereas methylation of CXCL5/6/12/14 and VEGFA was considerably higher. Furthermore, CXCL9/10/11 and VEGFA expression was notably correlated with the pathological stages of COAD. In addition, patients with COAD with high CXCL8/11/14 or low VEGFA expression levels survived longer than patients with dissimilar expression levels. CXC chemokines and VEGFA form a complex regulatory network through coexpression, colocalization, and genetic interactions. Moreover, many transcription factor targets of the CXC chemokine-VEGFA network in patients with COAD were identified: RELA, NFKB1, ZFP36, XBP1, HDAC2, SP1, ATF4, EP300, BRCA1, ESR1, HIF1A, EGR1, STAT3, and JUN. We further identified the top three miRNAs involved in regulating each CXC chemokine within the network: miR-518C, miR-369-3P, and miR-448 regulated CXCL1; miR-518C, miR-218, and miR-493 regulated CXCL2; miR-448, miR-369-3P, and miR-221 regulated CXCL3; miR-423 regulated CXCL13; miR-378, miR-381, and miR-210 regulated CXCL14; miR-369-3P, miR-382, and miR-208 regulated CXCL17; miR-486 and miR-199A regulated VEGFA. Furthermore, the CXC chemokine-VEGFA network in patients with COAD was notably associated with immune infiltration.

Conclusions

This study revealed that the CXC chemokine-VEGFA network might act as a prognostic biomarker for patients with COAD. Moreover, our study provides new therapeutic targets for COAD, serving as a reference for further research in the future.

Classical Angiogenic Signaling Pathways and Novel Anti-Angiogenic Strategies for Colorectal Cancer

Although productive progress has been made in colorectal cancer (CRC) researchs, CRC is the second most frequent type of malignancy and the major cause of cancer-related death among gastrointestinal cancers. As angiogenesis constitutes an important point in the control of CRC progression and metastasis, understanding the key signaling pathways that regulate CRC angiogenesis is critical in elucidating ways to inhibit CRC. Herein, we comprehensively summarized the angiogenesis-related pathways of CRC, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), Wingless and int-1 (Wnt), and Notch signaling pathways. We divided the factors influencing the specific pathway into promoters and inhibitors. Among these, some drugs or natural compounds that have antiangiogenic effects were emphasized. Furthermore, the interactions of these pathways in angiogenesis were discussed. The current review provides a comprehensive overview of the key signaling pathways that are involved in the angiogenesis of CRC and contributes to the new anti-angiogenic strategies for CRC.

Genomic alterations drive metastases formation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer: deciphering the role of CDKN2A and CDKN2B in mediating liver tropism

Metastases are often the direct cause of death from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The role of genomic alterations (GA) in mediating tropism and metastasis formation by PDAC cells is currently unknown. We aimed to identify GAs predisposing colonization of PDAC cells to the liver and decipher mechanisms enabling this process. In order to reveal specific genes, we studied the frequency of GA in 8,880 local and 7,983 metastatic PDAC samples. We observed differential pattern of GA in the local tumor and specific metastatic sites, with liver metastases characterized by deletion of CDKN2A/B (encoding p16/p15, respectively). The role of CDKN2A/B in promoting liver metastasis was evidenced by enhanced tumorigenic phenotype of p15/p16-deleted PDAC cells when exposed to hepatocytes conditioned media. The liver is characterized by high-ammonia low-glutamine environment and transcriptomic assays indicated unique adaptation of PDAC cells to these conditions, including regulation of genes leading to reduced glutaminolysis, like overexpression of GLUL and reduction in GLS2. Furthermore, metabolic assays indicated an increase in glutamate derived from [U-13C]-glucose in p15/p16-deleted cells. Importantly, these cells thrived under high ammonia condition. These data suggest a unique role for genomic alterations in mediating tropism of PDAC. Among these alterations, p15/16 deletion was identified as a promoter of liver metastases. Further studies indicated a unique role for p15/16 in regulating glutaminolysis. These findings reveal vulnerabilities in PDAC cells, which may pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies aiming at the prevention of liver metastases formation.

Lymphocyte infiltration and thyrocyte destruction are driven by stromal and immune cell components in Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and thyrocyte destruction. Dissection of the interaction between the thyroidal stromal microenvironment and the infiltrating immune cells might lead to a better understanding of HT pathogenesis. Here we show, using single-cell RNA-sequencing, that three thyroidal stromal cell subsets, ACKR1⁺ endothelial cells and CCL21⁺ myofibroblasts and CCL21⁺ fibroblasts, contribute to the thyroidal tissue microenvironment in HT. These cell types occupy distinct histological locations within the thyroid gland. Our experiments suggest that they might facilitate lymphocyte trafficking from the blood to thyroid tissues, and T cell zone CCL21⁺ fibroblasts may also promote the formation of tertiary lymphoid organs characteristic to HT. Our study also demonstrates the presence of inflammatory macrophages and dendritic cells expressing high levels of IL-1β in the thyroid, which may contribute to thyrocyte destruction in HT patients. Our findings thus provide a deeper insight into the cellular interactions that might prompt the pathogenesis of HT.

Roles of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 Axis in the Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy

In humans, Interleukin-8 (IL-8 or CXCL8) is a granulocytic chemokine with multiple roles within the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as recruiting immunosuppressive cells to the tumor, increasing tumor angiogenesis, and promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). All of these effects of CXCL8 on individual cell types can result in cascading alterations to the TME. The changes in the TME components such as the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the immune cells, the extracellular matrix, the blood vessels, or the lymphatic vessels further influence tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. Emerging roles of the microbiome in tumorigenesis or tumor progression revealed the intricate interactions between inflammatory response, dysbiosis, metabolites, CXCL8, immune cells, and the TME. Studies have shown that CXCL8 directly contributes to TME remodeling, cancer plasticity, and the development of resistance to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Further, clinical data demonstrate that CXCL8 could be an easily measurable prognostic biomarker in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors. The blockade of the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis alone or in combination with other immunotherapy will be a promising strategy to improve antitumor efficacy. Herein, we review recent advances focusing on identifying the mechanisms between TME components and the CXCL8-CXCR1/2 axis for novel immunotherapy strategies.

Chromatin Remodeling of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis is Mediated by an HGF-PU.1-DPP4 Axis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasizes mainly to the liver, which accounts for the majority of CRC-related deaths. Here it is shown that metastatic cells undergo specific chromatin remodeling in the liver. Hepatic growth factor (HGF) induces phosphorylation of PU.1, a pioneer factor, which in turn binds and opens chromatin regions of downstream effector genes. PU.1 increases histone acetylation at the DPP4 locus. Precise epigenetic silencing by CRISPR/dCas9KRAB or CRISPR/dCas9HDAC revealed that individual PU.1-remodeled regulatory elements collectively modulate DPP4 expression and liver metastasis growth. Genetic silencing or pharmacological inhibition of each factor along this chromatin remodeling axis strongly suppressed liver metastasis. Therefore, microenvironment-induced epimutation is an important mechanism for metastatic tumor cells to grow in their new niche. This study presents a potential strategy to target chromatin remodeling in metastatic cancer and the promise of repurposing drugs to treat metastasis.

Granulocytes and Cells of Granulocyte Origin-The Relevant Players in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancy and cause of cancer death worldwide, and it still remains a therapeutic challenge for western medicine. There is strong evidence that, in addition to genetic predispositions, environmental factors have also a substantial impact in CRC development. The risk of CRC is attributed, among others to dietary habits, alcohol consumption, whereas physical activity, food containing dietary fiber, dairy products, and calcium supplements have a protective effect. Despite progress in the available therapies, surgery remains a basic treatment option for CRC. Implementation of additional methods of treatment such as chemo- and/or targeted immunotherapy, improved survival rates, however, the results are still far from satisfactory. One of the reasons may be the lack of deeper understanding of the interactions between the tumor and different types of cells, including tumor infiltrating granulocytes. While the role of neutrophils is quite well explored in many cancers, role of eosinophils and basophils is often underestimated. As part of this review, we focused on the function of different granulocyte subsets in CRC, emphasizing the beneficial role of eosinophils and basophils, as well as dichotomic mode of neutrophils action. In addition, we addressed the current knowledge on cells of granulocyte origin, specifically granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells (Gr-MDSCs) and their role in development and progression of CRC.

The liver metastatic niche: modelling the extracellular matrix in metastasis

Dissemination of malignant cells from primary tumours to metastatic sites is a key step in cancer progression. Disseminated tumour cells preferentially settle in specific target organs, and the success of such metastases depends on dynamic interactions between cancer cells and the microenvironments they encounter at secondary sites. Two emerging concepts concerning the biology of metastasis are that organ-specific microenvironments influence the fate of disseminated cancer cells, and that cancer cell-extracellular matrix interactions have important roles at all stages of the metastatic cascade. The extracellular matrix is the complex and dynamic non-cellular component of tissues that provides a physical scaffold and conveys essential adhesive and paracrine signals for a tissue's function. Here, we focus on how extracellular matrix dynamics contribute to liver metastases - a common and deadly event. We discuss how matrix components of the healthy and premetastatic liver support early seeding of disseminated cancer cells, and how the matrix derived from both cancer and liver contributes to the changes in niche composition as metastasis progresses. We also highlight the technical developments that are providing new insights into the stochastic, dynamic and multifaceted roles of the liver extracellular matrix in permitting and sustaining metastasis. An understanding of the contribution of the extracellular matrix to different stages of metastasis may well pave the way to targeted and effective therapies against metastatic disease.

Role of neutrophil extracellular traps in regulation of lung cancer invasion and metastasis: Structural insights from a computational model

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide and is characterized by hijacking immune system for active growth and aggressive metastasis. Neutrophils, which in their original form should establish immune activities to the tumor as a first line of defense, are undermined by tumor cells to promote tumor invasion in several ways. In this study, we investigate the mutual interactions between the tumor cells and the neutrophils that facilitate tumor invasion by developing a mathematical model that involves taxis-reaction-diffusion equations for the critical components in the interaction. These include the densities of tumor and neutrophils, and the concentrations of signaling molecules and structure such as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). We apply the mathematical model to a Boyden invasion assay used in the experiments to demonstrate that the tumor-associated neutrophils can enhance tumor cell invasion by secreting the neutrophil elastase. We show that the model can both reproduce the major experimental observation on NET-mediated cancer invasion and make several important predictions to guide future experiments with the goal of the development of new anti-tumor strategies. Moreover, using this model, we investigate the fundamental mechanism of NET-mediated invasion of cancer cells and the impact of internal and external heterogeneity on the migration patterning of tumour cells and their response to different treatment schedules.

CXCL8 Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment represents a dynamic and complex cellular network involving intricate communications between the tumor and highly heterogeneous groups of cells, including tumor-supporting immune and inflammatory cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, endothelial cells, tumor-associated macrophages, adipose cells, and pericytes. Associated with a variety of growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, and other signaling molecules, the interaction between the tumor microenvironment and the tumor cells empowers aggressiveness of tumor by enhancing its survivability. CXCL8 (also known as Interleukin 8), a multifunctional proinflammatory chemokine that was initially classified as a neutrophil chemoattractant, recently has been found to be a key contributor in tumorigenesis. The upregulation of CXCL8 at the tumor invasion front in several human cancers suggests its interplay between the tumor and its microenvironment rendering tumor progression by enhancing angiogenesis, tumor genetic diversity, survival, proliferation, immune escape, metastasis, and multidrug resistance. The autocrine and paracrine modulation of CXCL8 via the chemokine receptors CXCR1/2 promotes several intracellular signaling cascades that fosters tumor-associated inflammation, reprogramming, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and neovascularization. Hence, decrypting the regulatory/signaling cascades of CXCL8 and its downstream effects may harbor prognostic clinical prospects of a tumor microenvironment-oriented cancer therapeutics.

Angiogenesis-Related Functions of Wnt Signaling in Colorectal Carcinogenesis

Simple Summary

Angiogenesis belongs to the most clinical characteristics of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is strongly linked to the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The most prominent factors stimulating constitutive activation of this pathway, and in consequence angiogenesis, are genetic alterations (mainly mutations) concerning APC and the β-catenin encoding gene (CTNNB1), detected in a large majority of CRC patients. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in the basic types of vascularization (sprouting and nonsprouting angiogenesis), vasculogenic mimicry as well as the formation of mosaic vessels. The number of known Wnt/β-catenin signaling components and other pathways interacting with Wnt signaling, regulating angiogenesis, and enabling CRC progression continuously increases. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of the Wnt/Fzd/β-catenin signaling pathway in the process of CRC angiogenesis, aiming to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of metastasis as well as improvements in the management of this cancer.

Abstract

Aberrant activation of the Wnt/Fzd/β-catenin signaling pathway is one of the major molecular mechanisms of colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. On the other hand, one of the most common clinical CRC characteristics include high levels of angiogenesis, which is a key event in cancer cell dissemination and distant metastasis. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin downstream signaling regulates the most important pro-angiogenic molecules including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and chemokines. Furthermore, mutations of the β-catenin gene associated with nuclear localization of the protein have been mainly detected in microsatellite unstable CRC. Elevated nuclear β-catenin increases the expression of many genes involved in tumor angiogenesis. Factors regulating angiogenesis with the participation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling include different groups of biologically active molecules including Wnt pathway components (e.g., Wnt2, DKK, BCL9 proteins), and non-Wnt pathway factors (e.g., chemoattractant cytokines, enzymatic proteins, and bioactive compounds of plants). Several lines of evidence argue for the use of angiogenesis inhibition in the treatment of CRC. In the context of this paper, components of the Wnt pathway are among the most promising targets for CRC therapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of the Wnt/Fzd/β-catenin signaling pathway in the process of CRC angiogenesis, aiming to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of metastasis as well as improvements in the management of this cancer.

CircFoxo3 Promotes Adriamycin Resistance Through Regulation of miR-199a-5p/ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 1 Axis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Introduction

Chemotherapy resistance is the main cause of poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, it is important to understand the molecular mechanism of adriamycin (ADM) resistance in HCC. Increasing evidence indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in different pathological processes. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the roles and the underlying molecular mechanism of circFoxo3 in ADM-resistant HCC.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-five pairs of clinical tumors samples and matched normal tissues were collected from patients with HCC. Gain- and loss-function experiments were performed to investigate the role of circFoxo3 in ADM-resistant cells.

Results

CircFoxo3 expression was increased in ADM-resistant HCC tissues and HCC cell lines and in metastatic tissues compared with non-metastatic tissues. CircFoxo3 knockdown reduces and circFoxo3 overexpression enhances HCC cell invasion and tumor growth. In addition, circFoxo3 interacted with miR-199a-5p and regulated miR-199a-5p expression. Furthermore, ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 1 (ABCC1) was identified as a new target of miR-199a-5p. CircFoxo3 interacted with miR-199a-5p to positively regulate ABCC1 expression, contributing to epithelial–mesenchymal transition progression.

Conclusion

CircFoxo3 knockdown reduces and circFoxo3 overexpression enhances HCC cell invasion and tumor growth through regulation of miR-199a-5p/ABCC1 axis. Our findings reveal that circFoxo3 may be novel biomarkers and therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Identification of key genes and pathways of diagnosis and prognosis in cervical cancer by bioinformatics analysis

Background

Cervical cancer as one of the most common malignant tumors lead to bad prognosis among women. Some researches already focus on the carcinogenesis and pathogenesis of cervical cancer, but it is still necessary to identify more key genes and pathways.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes were identified by GEO2R from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) website, then gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyzed by DAVID. Meanwhile, protein–protein interaction network was constructed by STRING, and both key genes and modules were found in visualizing network through Cytoscape. Besides, GEPIA did the differential expression of key genes and survival analysis. Finally, the expression of genes related to prognosis was further explored by UNLCAN, oncomine, and the human protein atlas.

Results

Totally 57 differentially expressed genes were founded, not only enriched in G1/S transition of mitotic cell cycle, mitotic nuclear division, and cell division but also participated in cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, toll‐like receptor signaling pathway, and amoebiasis. Additionally, 12 hub genes and 3 key modules were screened in the Cytoscape visualization network. Further survival analysis showed that TYMS (OMIM accession number 188350), MCM2 (OMIM accession number 116945), HELLS (OMIM accession number 603946), TOP2A (OMIM accession number 126430), and CXCL8 (OMIM accession number 146930) were associated with the prognosis of cervical cancer.

Conclusion

This study aim to better understand the characteristics of some genes and signaling pathways about cervical cancer by bioinformatics, and could provide further research ideas to find new mechanism, more prognostic factors, and potential therapeutic targets for cervical cancer.

Tumour-associated macrophages mediate the invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells through CXCL8

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) are associated with both the progression and poor prognosis of a variety of solid tumours. This study aimed to investigate and clarify the tumour-promoting role of CXCL8 secreted by TAMs in the urothelial carcinoma microenvironment of the bladder. Immunohistochemistry (n = 55) was used to detect Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8 (CXCL8), CD163 (a TAM marker), Matrixmetalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and E-cadherin in cancerous and adjacent tissues of bladder cancer patients. TAMs-like PBM (peripheral blood mononuclear)-derived macrophages were developed using in vitro experiments. T24, 5637, and UM-UC-3 were treated with conditioned medium (CM) for the experimental intervention group, without CM for the blank control group, and with CM and an anti-CXCL8 neutralizing antibody for the experimental control group, respectively. The immunohistochemical study showed that the expression of CXCL8 was significantly upregulated as the number of infiltrating TAMs increased in the tumour tissues. A high expression of CXCL8 significantly correlated with an increase in the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF and a decrease in expression of E-cadherin in the microenvironment. This revealed that TAM-derived CXCL8 is highly associated with bladder cancer migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. The concentration of CXCL8 was significantly higher in CM collected from TAM-like PBM-derived macrophages than that from THP-1 cells. In subsequent in vitro experiments, we found that CM derived from TAM-like PBM-derived macrophages can also increase the migration rate, invasiveness, and pro-angiogenic properties of tumour cells. Additionally, the effect of CXCL8 was significantly diminished by the addition of an anti-CXCL8 neutralizing antibody to CM. The infiltration of TAMs in the tumour microenvironment leads to the elevation of CXCL8, which in turn promotes the secretion of MMP-9, VEGF, and E-cadherin by bladder cancer cells. This alters the migration, invasion, and pro-angiogenic capacity of bladder cancer cells and accelerates cancer progression.

ROR-α-1 inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97H via downregulation of chemokine CXCL5

Hepatocarcinogenesis is a complicated process that is affected by a variety of microenvironmental factors, such as secretory chemokines and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM). Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor (ROR)-α has been shown to attenuate tumor invasiveness by inducing suppressive cell microenvironment, and its low expression was associated with a worse prognosis in HCC patients. In the present study, we attempted to investigate the role and mechanism of the dominant transcript of ROR-α, ROR-α-1, in HCC development and progression. Among the four transcripts (ROR-α-1/-2/-3/-4), overexpression of ROR-α-1 dramatically suppressed the capacity of MHCC97H cells to proliferate, migrate and invade. We analyzed the differentially expressed genes in ROR-α-1-overexpressed and non-overexpressed MHCC97H cells, performed Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis on these differentially-expressed genes, and found out that factors involved in the tumor microenvironment and ECM are related to the anti-tumor effects of ROR-α-1. Among these factors, chemokine CXCL5 was significantly downregulated by ROR-α-1 overexpression. Overexpression of ROR-α-1 remarkably inhibited the capacity of HCC cells to proliferate, migrate, invade, and downregulated the protein levels of β-catenin, c-Myc, Cyclin D1, and N-cadherin, suggesting the tumor-suppressive role of ROR-α-1 in MHCC97H cells. Moreover, overexpression of CXCL5 dramatically attenuated the suppressive effects of cell proliferation, migration and invasion induced by ROR-α-1 overexpression in MHCC97H, suggesting that ROR-α-1 exerts its anti-tumor effects via downregulating CXCL5. In conclusion, we demonstrate the tumor-suppressive role of ROR-α-1 in MHCC97H cells and that ROR-α-1 might play a tumor-suppressive role via regulation of chemokine CXCL5.

Helicobacter pylori Reactivates Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 in Latently Infected Monocytes with Increased Expression of IL-1β and CXCL8

Background

Helicobacter pylori are gram-negative bacteria, which colonize the human stomach. More than 50% of the world's population is infected by H. pylori. Based on the high prevalence of H. pylori, it is very likely that HIV and H. pylori infection may coexist. However, the molecular events that occur during HIV-H. pylori co-infection remain unclear. Latent HIV reservoirs are the major obstacle in HIV cure despite effective therapy. Here, we explored the effect of H. pylori stimulation on latently HIV-infected monocytic cell line U1.

Methods

High throughput RNA-Seq using Illumina platform was performed to analyse the change in transcriptome between unstimulated and H. pylori-stimulated latently HIV-infected U1 cells. Transcriptome analysis identified potential genes and pathways involved in the reversal of HIV latency using bioinformatic tools that were validated by real-time PCR.

Results

H. pylori stimulation increased the expression of HIV-1 Gag, both at transcription (p<0.001) and protein level. H. pylori stimulation also increased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, CXCL8 and CXCL10 (p<0.0001). Heat-killed H. pylori retained their ability to induce HIV transcription. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 197 significantly upregulated and 101 significantly downregulated genes in H. pylori-stimulated U1 cells. IL-1β and CXCL8 were found to be significantly upregulated using transcriptome analysis, which was consistent with real-time PCR data.

Conclusion

H. pylori reactivate HIV-1 in latently infected monocytes with the upregulation of IL-1β and CXCL8, which are prominent cytokines involved in the majority of inflammatory pathways. Our results warrant future in vivo studies elucidating the effect of H. pylori in HIV latency and pathogenesis.

IL-17-CXC Chemokine Receptor 2 Axis Facilitates Breast Cancer Progression by Up-Regulating Neutrophil Recruitment

Recent evidence suggests that interactions among proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and cancer cell-recruited neutrophils result in enhanced metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. Nonetheless, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Our aim was to discover the role of IL-17, CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) ligands, and cancer-associated neutrophils in chemotherapy resistance and metastasis in breast cancer. Mice were injected with Cl66 murine mammary tumor cells, Cl66 cells resistant to doxorubicin (Cl66-Dox), or Cl66 cells resistant to paclitaxel (Cl66-Pac). Higher levels of IL-17 receptor, CXCR2 chemokines, and CXCR2 were observed in tumors generated from Cl66-Dox and Cl66-Pac cells in comparison with tumors generated from Cl66 cells. Tumors generated from Cl66-Dox and Cl66-Pac cells had higher infiltration of neutrophils and T helper 17 cells. In comparison with primary tumor sites, there were increased levels of CXCR2, CXCR2 ligands, and IL-17 receptor within the metastatic lesions. Moreover, IL-17 increased the expression of CXCR2 ligands and cell proliferation of Cl66 cells. The supernatant of Cl66-Dox and Cl66-Pac cells enhanced neutrophil chemotaxis. In addition, IL-17-induced neutrophil chemotaxis was dependent on CXCR2 signaling. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the IL-17-CXCR2 axis facilitates the recruitment of neutrophils to the tumor sites, thus allowing them to play a cancer-promoting role in cancer progression.

cGAMP inhibits tumor growth in colorectal cancer metastasis through the STING/STAT3 axis in a zebrafish xenograft model

The leading cause of mortality due to colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly associated with the development of liver metastases. Recently, we described cGAMP that is closely related to the metastatic state wherein the progress of metastatic tumors is associated with favorable outcomes in a zebrafish xenograft model. cGAMP was administered and the expression levels of type-I interferons were induced amongst tumor tissues to illuminate the overall measure of the induced STING/STAT3 axis in colorectal liver metastases. Furthermore, cGAMP-STING dependent STAT3 activation resulted in the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, viability, and invasion in vitro. The subtotal reduction in tumor growth attributed to a large number of infiltrating inflammatory cells in vivo. We showed that cGAMP inhibited migration through angiogenesis by up-regulating IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ, whereas STAT3 down-regulation inhibited CXCL8, BCL-2, and VEGFA expression. The importance of cGAMP in inhibiting the invasion front of CRC confirmed that the cGAMP dependent activation of STING/STAT3 axis played a key role in the inhibition of tumor progression.

The role of liver microenvironment in hepatic metastasis

Metastasis is still poorly understood and thus further research must be conducted to provide insight into the driving factors. Novel research has revealed the significance of the microenvironment in the delegation of metastasis, expanding the field of cancer metastasis to cells and cell environments surrounding the migrated tumor cells. Research on hepatic metastasis is an ever-growing domain of this field, as several primary tumors can metastasize to the liver. The two features within the liver that promote metastasis—cellular and acellular—are found in the current interpretation of liver microenvironment. Novel findings of both are included in this review. Different hypotheses detailing the methods by which metastasis can occur must be included to understand the significance of the microenvironment, as well as a brief overview of the methods that can be used during research. This review aims to highlight the importance of liver microenvironment on the development or potential regression of hepatic metastasis through discussing both acellular and cellular components of liver microenvironment and their interaction with metastasis.

The prognostic value of CXC subfamily ligands in stage I-III patients with colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of CXC subfamily ligands in stage I-III patients with colorectal cancer, in order to find a new predictor for CRC patients.

METHODS

We used Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to collect the gene expression of CXC subfamily ligands and corresponding clinical data. The survival analysis was performed by "survival" package of Rsoftware. The CRC patients' DFS and the relationship between the expression levels of CXC subfamily ligands were evaluated by the univariate Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

By using microarray data, there were 14 CXC subfamily ligands identified from dataset GSE39582. Seven CXC subfamily ligands were significantly correlated with DFS in CRC patients. (p<0.05),including CXCL1, CXCL3, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL13, and CXCL14. From multivariate Cox regression analyze, four CXC subfamily ligands (CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL13) were significantly associated with CRC patients' DFS (all p<0.05). Three CXC subfamily ligands (CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL13) were significantly associated with CRC patients' Overall survival (OS) (all p<0.05). Both CXCL11 and CXCL13 had the similar prediction values for DFS and OS.

CONCLUSION

There were seven CXC subfamily ligands were significantly correlated with DFS in CRC patients. Different expression level of four CXC subfamily ligands (CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL13) and Three CXC subfamily ligands (CXCL10, CXCL11, and CXCL13) were related to CRC patients' DFS and OS. There are still needs more experiments to confirm our conclusions. Next step we will make animal experiment about the genes in order to verified the predictive value of the CXC subfamily ligands.

Predictive value of intratumour inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels of hepatocellular carcinoma patients and activation of two distinct pathways govern IL-8 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human hepatic cancer cell lines

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is always accompanied by persistent inflammation of liver tissues, which is considered to exert protumourigenic effects by promoting cancer growth, progression, and metastasis. However, the tumour-promoting roles and predictive value of intratumoural inflammatory cytokines remain unclear. In the present study, we used database analysis, clinical pathological studies, and in vitro biological experiments on human hepatic cancer cell lines to assess the prognostic potential of the primary tumour cytokine mRNA levels and underlying mechanisms in HCC. First, we assessed the prognostic value of several cytokines from the TCGA database and found that IL-8 is a unique cytokine that is associated with poor overall survival of HCC patients. Then, we collected 87 HCC tumour and adjacent non-tumour specimens from patients and confirmed that patients with low IL-8 expression exhibited less intrahepatic invasion or distant metastasis, a lower recurrence rate and longer overall survival time compared to patients with high IL-8 expression. Wound healing, transwell, and western blotting assay results showed that IL-8 promotes the migration and invasion of Huh-7 and HepG2 cells, and the underlying mechanism is that IL-8 induces the EMT of HCC cells via the IL-8/ERK1/2/SNAI1 and IL-8/STAT3/TWIST1 signalling pathways. These results provide valuable biological IL-8 information which needs to be further investigated in liver cancer target therapy research. Furthermore, the intratumoural cytokine expression at the mRNA level may provide insight into hepatocarcinoma prognosis.

The Role of Tumor-Associated Neutrophils in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths worldwide and the number of CRC patients is increasing progressively. Despite the improvement of the surgical techniques and chemotherapy, we have not completely overcome this disease yet due to the metastases. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms through which metastasis occurs is important for overcoming CRC. Normal host cells in the tumor microenvironment, such as macrophages and fibroblasts, have been reported to promote the growth of CRCs. Although neutrophils were originally considered to have defensive functions against tumor cells, it has been revealed that some populations of neutrophils, called as tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), have tumor-supportive functions. The plasticity between tumor-suppressive and -supportive neutrophils are regulated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and Interferon-β signaling. Some studies have demonstrated that TANs promote the spread of cancer cells to distant organs. TANs contribute to the tumor invasion and angiogenesis through the production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the primary and metastatic sites. Neutrophils also promotes tumor cell dissemination by capturing circulating tumor cells using neutrophil extracellular traps and promote their migration to distant sites. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a well-defined predictive marker for CRC patients. In this review, we highlight the molecular signaling between TANs and CRC cells and the possibility of TANs as a potential target for cancer therapy.

Emerging role of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) mediated proteotoxic apoptosis in diabetes

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a crucial single membrane organelle that acts as a quality control system for cellular proteins as it is intricately involved in their synthesis, folding and trafficking to the respective targets. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by enhanced blood glucose level that promotes insulin resistance and hampers cellular glucose metabolism. Hyperglycemia provokes mitochondrial ROS production and glycation of proteins which exert a tremendous load on ER for conventional refolding of misfolded/unfolded and nascent proteins that perturb ER homeostasis resulting in apoptotic cell death. Impairment in ER functions is suspected to be through specific ER membrane-bound proteins known as Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) sensor proteins. Conformational changes in these proteins induce oligomerization and cross-autophosphorylation which facilitate processes required for the restoration of ER homeostatic imbalance. Multiple studies have reported the involvement of UPR mediated autophagy and apoptotic pathways in the progression of metabolic disorders including diabetes, cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury and hypoxia-mediated cell death. In this review, the involvement of UPR pathways in the progression of diabetes associated complications have been addressed, which underscores molecular crosstalks during neuropathy, nephropathy, hepatic injury and retinopathy. A better understanding of these molecular interventions may reveal advanced therapeutic approaches for preventing diabetic comorbidities. The article also highlights the importance of phytochemicals that are emerging as novel ER stress inhibitors and are being explored for targeted interaction in preventing cell death responses during diabetes.

MicroRNA-128 targeting RPN2 inhibits cell proliferation and migration through the Akt-p53-cyclin pathway in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignancy with high metastatic rates. The mechanism of miR-128 on the regulation of Ribophorin-II (RPN2) in CRC cells was explored in the present study. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or western blot analyses were conducted to detect miR-128 and RPN2 levels in tissues and cell lines. AmiR-128 overexpression model was constructed using miR-128 mimic transfection in HT29 CRC cells. Then, cell proliferation was detected using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and the migratory and invasive abilities were measured by Transwell assay. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis were used to detect expression levels of protein kinase-B (Akt)-tumor protein 53 (p53)-cyclin pathway and metastasis-associated factors. In the present study, it was identified that aberrant decreased miR-128 was negatively correlated with RPN2 in CRC tissues. The increased RPN2 levels were significantly associated with poorly-differentiated histology, advanced stages and lymph nodes metastasis in patients with CRC. The survival rate of patients with CRC was also closely associated with RPN2 levels. In HT29 cells, miR-128 upregulation downregulated mRNA and protein levels of RPN2, and significantly inhibited cell proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities. Markedly decreased Akt phosphorylation and cyclin D1 levels and increased p53 levels were detected when cells were transfected with miR-128 mimics. Concurrently, decreased levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and metastasis-associated protein 1, and increased levels of epithelial-cadherin and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2, were revealed in miR-128 mimic-transfected cells. Subsequent to screening with miRNA target prediction databases, the specificity of miR-128-targeted RPN2 was validated by a luciferase reporter assay. In conclusion, the results suggested that miR-128 was a specific negative regulator of RPN2, which regulated colorectal cancer cell proliferation and migration by affecting the Akt-p53-cyclin pathway. These data may provide novel evidence for the therapeutic potential of miR-128-based treatments for colorectal cancer.